The Bug Repost
by Evil-sick-cow
Summary: This is a re-post. It's a shoujo-aiyuri story. r&r... please!
1. chapter1

THESE CHARACTRERS AREN'T MINE. (though I wish they were...)  
  
Hiya!!! I already had this story published, but it was removed... because of the @#$*~#@/!!! NC-17 problem. Yeah, well, this story already has a lemon chapter, though it's chapter 11... or maybe 10? I don't remember. Anyway, who cares, as long as it's in the story, heh? ^___^ I finaly gave myself a *HUGE* mental kick and decided to edit "the bug" and put it back on the site for your pleasure.  
  
Now, this story is SHOUJO AI and later, yuri. If you don't know what it means: it's f/f relationships. And now, if you're not comfortable with that, well... then... well just go away. =D  
  
The Bug  
  
I was sitting in my room. Actually, it was a hotel room, but it was the same now because I scared the shit out of the managers and they wouldn't show up to either ask me to pay or kick me out.  
  
I didn't knew what was wrong with me: I just felt like crying, something that rarely happened. So I've let the tears run free. If you would've seen Senbei's face at that moment, you would've died of laughter, like I would've . normally. I just told him to fuck off and dissapear until I call him.  
  
I was trying to figure out why I was crying, what could possibly hurt me so much so suddenly, when I felt very strong pain grab me. All my body was only pain. I felt like all my muscles were burning, like if something was eating me from inside... I couldn't take it and I collapsed to the ground. I felt spams take over my body like if striked by thunder, the ache not fading in the least. My fists clenched and I uslessly tried to protect myself from an invisible attacker by curling in a ball.  
  
About 5 minutes later, it was over. When I was finnaly relaxed and I managed to stand up, it happened again. The tears and the pain. It kept happening over and over again. After about an hour or two of me suffering like Hell, everything just stopped. But by that time, I had long before gave up trying to stand for I knew that each time I fell right to the ground again.  
  
I heard knocks on the door. Trying to hide the pain that I knew could be heard in my voice, I roared "Go AWAY!!". And I knew the last word I screamed sounded like a raging lion/beast, but the knocks just kept on. I stayed silent, trying to ignore it, but after several minutes of regular knocking, I was getting beyond annoyed. Growling, I finally sat up, not without effort, and yelled "OK!!! This better be important! Come in!". And the she entered.  
  
I remember asking myself several quetions as: How on earth did she found me? What the Hell was she doing here? .and what was this sad expression? But before I could say anything, she began:  
  
"It is important." She looked to the ground, trying to avoid my gaze.  
  
I could see she had been crying, her eyes were red and her usual gentle smile was gone. Something was terribly wrong. "What is it?" I gulped.  
  
"It's my sister... she... caught a bug. One of the virus types.... It's... It's a mortal one for goddesses." A tear ran down her cheek and she quickly whipped it away, sniffing.  
  
"." What was I supposed to say?  
  
Taking a deep breath, she forced herslef to continiue "She... she would've been dead if it wasn't for her demon part. S-s-since you're her best friend, I-I thought you should know about it. " She choked her last words.  
  
I know I should've never felt like this, but I was concerned and as I got up to comfort her, I felt tears grow in my eyes. 'Not again.' I just had the time to yelp before hitting the ground just at the goddess' feet. The pain was much stronger this time and it was more than my already weakened body could take and I collapsed. That ended our short conversation.  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
When I woke up, I didn't opened my eyes, my head was hurting too much. I quickly realised I wouldn't be able to slip back into my dear sleep because I heard familiar voices in the background, and what was said was very interesting.  
  
"What is she doing here!?!?!" a familiar man voice said.  
  
"I brought her with me." The goddess answered calmly.  
  
"I saw that!!! But why? For once, she wasn't causing troubles!"  
  
"She's not causing troubles now."  
  
"She will as soon as she wakes up."  
  
Apparently he'd just learned I was in his house. so did I. So Belldandy brought me here? That's when I remembered our last conversation. I sprang up from my bed, ignoring my pounding head, and ran to what I knew was Urd's room. I needed to see her. When I got there, the youngest goddess was already sitting by her sister, looking like she was crying all the tears she had in her small body. It was the kind of scene that would've broke anybody's heart. Even a demon like me. I couldn't enter the room. I was frozen by the overly sad atmosphere and I couldn't stop staring at the small form that, for once, wasn't threating. I think she felt eyes on her because she started to hide her tears, or should I say she tried.  
  
"It's OK, you can come in, Bell." She sniffed, whiping her tears.  
  
"I'm not her." I whispered with that low and distant voice I hate so much.  
  
At these words, she jumped and turned to face me, fear cleary written in her eyes. "W-w-what are you doing here!?" she stuttered.  
  
I think she noticed I wasn't in my normal mood either, because her expression softened though she still seamed warry.  
  
"Belldandy brought me here." I lowered my eyes, it was odd to discuss with her. "I. can you leave a bit? I wanna talk with Urd." I glanced at her.  
  
"She is not responding." She clenched her theet. "...And w-w-we don't have anything to heal her.... we don't know h-how" Tears were growing in her eyes again. With that, she ran out, probaly ashamed to cry before me.  
  
When I finally builed up enough courage to go over and look at her, I nearly fainted. She was so awfully pale. If it wasn't for her regular breathing, anyone would've thought she was already dead. I sat next to her bed, on the chair Skuld left. I couldn't get my eyes of her, and I felt tears fall down my cheeks.  
  
"Why you, of all people, why you?" I wispered, closing my eyes. The least thing I expeceted was for her to answer, but she did. ",,,"  
  
I can't say why, but I wasn't surprised at all that she answered, even though her baby sister said she wouldn't. Somehow, deep down, I knew she could my presence, I knew she could hear me if I needed to talk; I knew that, when I took her hand, she felt it. I don't know how long I stayed like this, maybe minutes, maybe hours. Anyway, my tears were dry. I just couldn't seem to let go of that hand, as if it would mean loosing her. I opened my eyes to observe her one more time, to make sure she was still there, I think.  
  
I don't know why, tears started sliding down her cheeks. Oddly, at the same time as mine. And I felt the same pain, again. And her eyes flashed widely open as screamed a bloody cry. like if something was killing her from the inside. I fell on the ground and I realised something. What I felt wasn't my pain, it was hers. I heard foot steps in the hall, they were coming this way. I already guessed the three others were alarmed by our screams. Keiichi entered first. I only saw him vaguely because on the tears flowing down my eyes. They couldn't seem to understand what was wrong.  
  
Through everything, I clearly heard Keiichi say call me in a panicked voice "Mara?!? Mara!!! What's wrong?!?!" He grabed me in his arms, trying to calm my screams and violent spasms. Then, he turned to his beloved "Belldandy, take care of Urd!" Before turning back to me "Mara! Mara!"  
  
I could feel I was terribly weak. I entered a state between conscious and unconscious. I could only hear whispers 'She's white!' 'Is she dead?' 'No, but her pulse is low and to breathe seems difficult.' 'what in the world happened?' ....  
  
And then, nothing.  
  
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I would really like to know if you liked the editing. Review, please?? *puppy eyes* Pretty please? 


	2. Chapter2

If the next chapters are re-posted too, it is because of good (and pretty quick) reviews, thanks. ^___^  
  
The bug ch.2 A sweet little chapter  
  
When I woke up, I was back in my bed, the one in the guest room. The first thing I noticed was that it was already dark outside and my stomach was screaming to be fed. I needed to get sometihng to silence it something and quick. I got up, and started walking down the hall to the kitchen. I couldn't seem to focus my eyes on anything, I was too weak. When I reached it, I didn't even took the time to to search for something, I chose a bottle of sake that was still resting on the small coffee table, guessed it was Urd's.  
  
Thinking about her, I decided to go check on her, see how she was doing. I entered quietly her room, didn't wanted to wake her up. Since somebody had removed the chair, I sat on the bed. Her face was still pale and I couldn't say if she was better, first because of the dark, second because I, to me, everything was blurry. I stayed there for a moment, taking in what I was able to see of her beautifull features.  
  
I was about to get back to my room, when I heard a whisper:  
  
"It's cold in here, there's no one left..."  
  
"I'm there, I won't leave you..." I answered without thinking, as I sat back on her bed and took her hand as I did earlier. I decided it may be better if I stayed with a bit more. A few moments later, to my surprise, she slightly opened her eyes.  
  
"Mara?!" She whispered again.  
  
I felt tears of joy build in my eyes . "Yes, I'm here." I smiled as I began stroking her hand gently.  
  
"W-w-what are you doing here?" She said, trying all she could to sit up.  
  
I gently forced her to lie back down. "I'm looking after you."  
  
"No, I meant.... Do they know you're here?" She asked again, ignoring my last statement.  
  
"Yes." I answered truthfully.  
  
"Then why-" She tried again to sat back up, but she was too weak and fell back on the bed.  
  
"We'll explain tomorrow, now sleep. I'm going back to my room." Knowing very well that tomorow, she might not wake up at all. With that, I got up and began walking to the door, ignoring the tears that threatened to fall. I was held back by her soft voice, though.  
  
"I don't want to stay alone." She said sadly as she knew the truth of her state.  
  
"..." I didn't moved.  
  
"Can you stay with me tonight?" she asked in a small voice.  
  
I don't know why these words made me blush, we always slept in the same bed before we took our jobs. I blamed it on the sake.  
  
I turned back to give her a soft smile. "I'll go get my blanket and a pillow."  
  
"There's enough place in my bed." She said, playing with a strand of her hair.  
  
"..." I was voiceless.  
  
"Please? Like when we were kids!" She pleaded, giving me puppy eyes.  
  
I sighed, still smiling, the old times coming back to my mind. "OK then."  
  
I got in her bed, still blushing. She looked oh-so-happy to have me near her. So I guessed it was fine for me to stay just for tonight. I was almost asleep, on my side of the bed, when she called me again.  
  
"Mara?" She asked in an unusally soft voice.  
  
"....mmmh?" was all I could manage.  
  
" ...Hold me? I'm cold..." I almost didn't heard that.  
  
"What???.." My eyes flashed open as I turned to look at her, questioningly.  
  
"You heard very well." She huffed.. blushing?? "Please?" she glanced shyly at me.  
  
"W-why?!" That was a little unexpected, and my mind couldn't seem to understand such a request.  
  
"I told you! I'm cold." She said impatiently.  
  
"*sigh* OK."  
  
She threw herself in my arms and buried her face in my chest. That made me blush VIOLENTLY. But Urd, on her side, fell asleep almost immediately. I couldn't get any rest, not like that. Lying so close to her, feeling her heart beating against mine. Calming down, I realised something: I just wanted to stay with her like this forever. I wanted to be with her forever.  
  
I realised I was in love with my best friend...  
  
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So? What do you think?? 


	3. chapter3

Sorry, but I didn't feel like writting very much, so huh... the chapter 2 is a little short... Anyway, this one is making up for it.  
  
The bug chapter 3  
  
_____________________________  
  
I woke up at the sound of the door slamming open, witch was immediately followed by a gasp. All I could think was "tired...sleep..mmmh" then "I am.was asleep with Urd in my arms. Someone just found that out... " Then, ".Oh Hell."  
  
I turned around so I could look at the intruder, who was no other than Skuld (as a matter of fact). I quickly got up, accidentally waking Urd in the process. Forgetting I was still weak, I tried to stand up and explain myself in the process, but my body wouldn't respond to the too quick command my mind gave and I fell on the ground in a loud thud. In a few seconds, Belldandy and Keiichi were in the room, wondering what happened. Skuld was frozen solid, so I turned my head back to see what Urd had to say. She just stared at me, then at her youngest sister, then at the two others. And then:  
  
"Urd! You're finally awake!" Belldandy chocked, tears in her eyes, throwing her arms around her sister.  
  
Keiichi just smiled and sighted and Skuld was still in shock, looking at me.  
  
"Sorry I worried all of you." Urd simply answered, strocking Belldandy's hair as she tried to soothe her sobbing sister.  
  
"I wasn't worried!" Skuld said (or yelled) snapping back to reality.  
  
"Liar." I mumbeled under my breath, deciding it was time to get up now that my body seemed to respond properly. It was oddly hard, but I made it.  
  
The small girl turned back at me, pointing an accusing finger and said:  
  
"And what were YOU doing in my sister's bed!?!??"  
  
That got Keiichi's attention. Everyone stared at me and it seemed like all the words were caught in my throat.  
  
"I told her to stay."  
  
Everyone turned back at Urd, in complete shock.  
  
"I wanted her to stay with me last night." She simply repeated.  
  
"I asked her to get in my bed and to stay all night" She said again, as everyone just didn't seem to understand what she was saying. I blushed at the way her words sounded.  
  
Keiichi got a nosebleed.  
  
"It's not what you think!!!" I cried, redening further more.  
  
"Urd, you seem so much better!" Belldandy said changing the subject.  
  
"Yeah, what happened to the bug?" Keiichi asked desperately trying to stop his nosebleed and his naughty thoughts.  
  
"I don't know, I don't feel it in me anymore." Urd thought aloud, she began feeling her stomach as if she would feel the bug move inside her.  
  
Then, something caught my attention and I crossed my arms over my belly as a deep, low and unnatural growl escaped from it, a sound resembling the last cry of a dying fiend. I fell to my knees as a sudden and overpowering ache appeared in my stomach.  
  
My eyes widened as I understood what was happening. "It's in me." I whispered, not believing it myself.  
  
"WHAT!??!"  
  
____________________________________  
  
"So?" Keiichi asked for what must've been the twentieth time in five minutes.  
  
"The scanner confirms the presence of a weak bug in her body." Skuld answered.  
  
"It seems to be dying..." Belldandy added.  
  
"How weird..." Urd commented.  
  
'What am I? a lab experiment?' I thought since everybody was staring at me like if I was Dracula in a father Christmas suit.  
  
"I'm gonna call the Yggdragsil system. I need to know what happened." Belldandy decided.  
  
_____________________________  
  
"So?" Keiichi asked (again) after Belldandy finished the call.  
  
"It seems that if the contemned one is in physical contact with any other living creature for three hours straight or more, the bug can transfer itself to the other body - witch, in that case was you, Mara - and try to kill it. Because you're a demon, it's doesn't have what it takes to attack your kind of cells and, not being able to feed itself, the bug is effectively dying." She explained.  
  
"Wow." Was all Urd could say.  
  
"But.... why were you suffering in the first place? You didn't even had it before... " Skuld questioned.  
  
That made every one in the room fall silent.  
  
"Mara, you have to stay here until we find what's happening exactly. I've-"  
  
"Huh?! Do I have to?" Belldandy was cut off by my protestations. It's funny how I sounded like a child whining....  
  
"Yes, you do." She gave me a stern look. "I've talked to Peorth too and she's coming to help solve the problems. She said 'the more we are the better it is.' And I think she's right." She finished her earlier explanations.  
  
"But we don't have two spare rooms!!! If Peorth comes, she will never accept to share a room !" Keiichi protested.  
  
"It's OK. Mara can sleep with m.... in my room." Urd said almost casually.  
  
I knew Skuld didn't liked the idea just by the way she looked at me. "I object! She's gonna try turning Urd into a demon again!" She said, still glaring at me. She will deny it all eternity, but every one knew that Skuld cared deeply for her oldest sister.  
  
"She's not that bad." Said a voice coming from the door.  
  
"Peorth?!"  
  
"Long time no see, kid."  
  
"I'm NOT a KID!!!!!!"  
  
"Whatever..." She waved her hand as if it would blow away Skuld's anger. "As I was saying, she can't be that bad. The proof is right here." She pointed a figer at me.  
  
"What does that prove?" Skuld asked septicaly.  
  
"Well, she's sitting right here, listing, as if she was one of us, without trying to attack or harm any of us." Peorth grinned. "No, seriously, demons are not friend with goddesses, and if she really was pure evil, as demons should be, she wouldn't have cared for Urd's life. That is first. Second, the bug transferred itself. It wouldn't have done it if it would've sensed a dangerous host, some that would kill it easily. Like all living and *sane* being it's not gonna attack something, or in that case, someone that it knows is stronger than it." Peorth explained. "Now, the question is : why did it willingly abandoned Urd and transfered to a host even more dangerous for it?"  
  
"That's why we have to study the case." Belldandy added.  
  
"You're not a real demon?" Keiichi finally managed to ask after all the information reached his human brain.  
  
"Yes, I am!" I cried, but on second thought .... " ... Well at least.... I think I am..." I wasn't sure anymore.  
  
An uncomfortable silence took over the group and I was fidgeting nervously in place when Urd broke the tension. "Well I'm glad she is... whatever she is. What's important is that none of us is not suffering from the stupid bug." She got up. "_Now_ I can spend time with a friend I was only authorised to fight until a few hours ago. *And*Come Mara, we'll prepare your bed."She said, making her way to the door.  
  
With that, I followed her to her room, leaving all the others to their thoughts.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
"I would've preferred you to sleep in my bed again, but I don't want to catch the bug again..." Urd said as she finished to instal the bed.  
  
"I understand." I answered, nodding. "... Why are you starring at me like... that?"  
  
"Huh? Like what? I... wasn't staring at you, I was just thinking and it happened that you were standing right there, in front of me, and it happens that I look in front of me when I think... and I wasn't staring at you!!! " She babbeled. I could've swore I saw her blushing, even if it was getting really dark.  
  
I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, right..." I whispered under my breath, a little disappointed.  
  
"Are you thirsty? I can go get us some sake !" Urd proposed suddenly.  
  
"Sure! why not?" With that, she quickly got up and got (ran) out of the room. 'What's wrong with her anyway?'  
  
__________________  
  
Evil me! 


	4. chapter4

I apreciate the reviews, I hope you like the story. Though it might be longer between each update, from now on.... 'cause I got a job!!!!!!! I'm working at Subway's.... *flatly* yay! Anyway, cash is cash. ^___^  
  
The bug chapter 4  
  
I heard two sets of footsteps run up the hall and what was clearly Peorth's voice yelling something like: "Urd!!! Come back here!!!!! You can't drink sake!!!! It will affect the bug and your present condition!!!!" I chuckled, as I knew exactly what would happen.... 3....2....1.....  
  
Urd flung the door open, a huge grin plastered on her face, yelling "I'm back!!!!" and slamed it shut behind her as quickly and violently as she had opened it. She then proceded in locking the door with one of the spells among the huge quantity of her useless ones. Peorth began to bang on the door and Urd was laughing a very hysterical and very contagious laugh. Soon, I found myself laughing too and we were able to stop only when Peorth had abandonned any hope of lifting the lock-spell and returned to the living room.  
  
"Mara, do you prefer the very very very very very very sensational super strong one or the best extra extra extra out-of-the-ordinary strong one?" She quetionned, regaining her breath.  
  
"...what's the difference?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
She frowned, observed closely the bottles, opened them both, smelled the content, then... "I don't know. It's just written that way on the bottles." She shrugered.  
  
I chuckled again. "Then, I'll take the very very very very ... first one you said."  
  
She giggled as she handed me the bottle. "I drink to our friendship." She said, raising her bottle in mid-air.  
  
"To our friendship..." I answered, mimicking her movement.  
  
We drank until the alcohool knocked both of us into a deep slumber.  
  
-----------------------  
  
When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Peorth floating over me, her face too close to mine for comfort. I blinked a few times to see if I wasn't imagining it all, and it seemed like I wasn't. She didn't seemed to notice I was awake, as she apeared to be staring at my forehead. "Err... Hi?"  
  
"Oh! Hi, Mara." She said as she glanced down at my eyes to confirm I really was awake before returning to picking on my forehead.  
  
I frowned, very uncomfortable and anger bulding in me. "......May I ask : What the HELL you're doing?"  
  
"Examining the demon marks on your forehead, dear." She gave me a little slap on the head. "Now quit frowning, it only makes the job harder."  
  
I sighed, but relaxed. Looking around, I saw I was in some kind of lab.  
  
"Don't move your head." She slapped it harder, absorbed in her work.  
  
"Ow! You could ask KINDLY, you know???? Goddesses are supposed to be KIND." I complained, rubbering my head.  
  
"Sorry." She offered, making eye contact for the second time. I stuck out my tongue at her. "Geez... You're as childish as Skuld."  
  
"I am NOT CHILDISH!!!" Skuld protested. I could see the kid, from the corner of my eye, scanning my body with the same machine she used yesterday, all the while giving ocasionnal death glares to the older goddess.  
  
After about ten minutes, I was starting to get really, I mean REALLY bored. "Will it take much longer?"  
  
"I don't know, it depends." She said as she took a pair of needle-like pliers and continued picking at my marks.  
  
"On what?" I said, wincing when she'd hit a soft spot.  
  
"Skuld, have you found the bug yet ?" She turned to the dark-haired girl, avoiding my question.  
  
Skuld frowned, scratched her head, crossed her arms and sighed. "It seems to have died during the night. We'll have to get it out of her body."  
  
"Great..." Peorth rolled her eyes before scowling at me. "You knew it's harder to extract it if it's dead, do you?"  
  
"Now I do." I smirked, but she was not amused.  
  
"You know what killed it faster and is making the job harder?" Her left eye twitched.  
  
I gluped, not amused anymore by the angry goddess. "...No?"  
  
"THE SAKE!!!!!!" She roared, still floating over my head.  
  
And I actually laughed at her. "So _that's_ what the riot was about." I despairately trying to regain my composture.  
  
Peorth patiently waited for me to stop gigling before continuing. "Mara, all the cells of your body and the atoms of your demon marks are normal. I don't understand what could've convinced the bug to switch from Urd's body to yours..."  
  
I stared at her with a somewhat blank expression. "And what am I supposed to say?"  
  
"I know what caused it all!!!" Belldandy cried happily, storming into lab, Keiichi on her heels. We all stared at her eyes wide open, for it wasn't very often we saw Belldandy in such a level of exitement. She then blushed and cleared her throat. "I meant: I found what we've been searching for." She stated calmly.  
  
We were still staring at her.  
  
"You all know about the pact that was made between gods and demons: You are not allowed to take a life, even on the other side."  
  
"Yes." Peorth said and I nodded.  
  
"To avoid any transgression, we installed the 'Doublet' rule. When still kids, a god and a demon are brought in that same room, the one forbidden by both sides, to create a 'blood link'. Every god and every demon have to do it at one time of their lives. The room, being outside of time and dimention, after the kids exit the room, every one forgets who is who's Doublet... " Belldandy said.  
  
I could almost see a light bulb above Peorth's head. "Yes, and if one of the two kid dies, the other will die too. And since no one remember who is who's doublet, every one is to respects the rule. So you think..." She continued.  
  
"I think Mara is Urd's doublet." Belldandy finished.  
  
"That would explain why she collapsed every time Urd did and why she was suffering from the bug before she even caught it...Urd was about to die.... so Mara was to...." Skuld added.  
  
"And why the bug transferred itself! It thought it was the same body!" Peorth concluded.  
  
"But.... Shouldn't Urd be her own Doublet?" Keiichi asked out of nowhere.  
  
Peorth stared at him blankly. "Why would she be?"  
  
"Well, Urd being both Hild and Kami-Sama's daugter, I think both sides have some interest in seeing that she doesn't get killed, because well... because, I surely wouldn't be stupid enough to kill my master's daughter." He said, scratching the back of his head. "Plus if she had one, her Doublet should be half god and half demon too, shouldn't he?"  
  
"He's right...." Peorth turned to Belldandy. "He's right!!!"  
  
"I thought so too, so I asked Father if Urd has a doublet. He said that she chose herself to be a goddess and she had to be conformed to the rules, whatever they were."  
  
"What does that mean?" Skuld asked.  
  
"It, means that _every_ god and _every_ demon has a doublet, whoever they are. Therefore, Urd has one. It's not because she is who she is that she is spared the risks of dying with her doublet. It wouldn't be fair otherwise." Belldandy said seriously. "To the systems she's nothing more than a goddess like any other."  
  
"That means your theory still stands?" Keiichi asked. "Mara and Urd?"  
  
Belldandy nodded.  
  
"Great! So I can go now? " I said sitting up.  
  
"No." Skuld answered, getting me to lie down again.  
  
"You still have the dead bug inside you, it hasn't been erased." Peorth explained.  
  
I sighed. "How do I get rid of it?"  
  
"For something that dangerous, it's really simple. One of us use the 'ghost' spell and take it out." Peorth said.  
  
"You mean that one of you is going to 'ghostify' your hand, get it in my body and take out the bug?" I made a face. I really, really didn't like the idea of a ghost hand going through my body.  
  
"It's supposed to work that way " Belldandy acquiesced.  
  
"Anything else?" I asked hoping it was all.  
  
"There musn't be any fabric, because the ghost hand can only pass through what's alive. The ghost hand will be able to pass through your body and still be able to touch the bug because it's not alive. Not anymore. Again, since your cloth are not a alive, a ghost hand can't pass through it." Belldandy explained.  
  
I gluped and asked the question I was afraid to ask. "So where is the bug?"  
  
Everyone turned to Skuld who blushed and pointed somewhere just below my bellybutton, but just a little over my private spot.  
  
"And one of you is supposed to go get it... Can't I get it myself?" I repeated.  
  
Peorth, who was blushing too, shook her head no.  
  
"We'll make it this way: the first person who says something, or make any noise, even a sneeze, will have to go get it." Belldandy smiled.  
  
Dead silence.  
  
"Hello! Did I missed something? Can I help?" Urd happily said, entering the lab.  
  
_________________________  
  
To be continued. Muhahahaha  
  
I feel evil. 


	5. chapter5

Seriously, I don't think I would've updated this if it wasn't for you, devil_urd. All of the others who read the fic, you should be thankful 'cause she's the one who's been pushing me around for this chapter. Love her. Adore her. Make huge statues of her and pray evey night for her blessing. Because she must be god for having me updating. LoL.  
  
Please pardon the mistakes I know I've made, because it's late. It's always late when I'm writing. The daylight kills my inspiration. I'm a vampire. Fear me. O.o What the fuck am I writing? ... ok. I'm tiered now. I gotta sleep. Good night you all. *Prays to devil_urd for some inspiration before she goes to bed.* ready now. Sleep well. ¯o¯  
  
Anyway... enjoy  
  
The bug ch.5  
  
Once every thing was explained to Urd, the first thing she said was:  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
"Don't make it harder than it already is." I pleaded. She just stared at me with that I-don't-belive-it-yet-this-is-happening-to-me face. I sighed, shaking my head. "Please?"  
  
Then, it was her turn to sigh. "OK! OK! I'll do it!"  
  
------------------------------------------  
  
Skuld closed the windows, the doors and the lights while Belldandy retrieved and lighted the candles. Peorth was drawing the magical circle on the ground while Urd was trying to memorize the spell and Keiichi was... well useless. After everything was ready, I was stepped in the middle of the circle, as I was told.  
  
"Then, what?" I turned to the goddesses.  
  
"Then you er...." Skuld blushed, mimicking a ever so strange movement.  
  
"You get your pants off." Peorth grinned.  
  
Keiichi had a nosbled.  
  
Keiichi was slapped behind the head by both Urd an Skuld.  
  
I unziped them. "Do I really ned to take them off?"  
  
Skuld shook her head rather rapidly and Peorth groaned.  
  
"But it's funnier if--"  
  
Peorth was slapped behind the head by both Urd and Skuld.  
  
"How dare you hit my beautiful head you-- you-- SECOND CLASS GODDESSES!!!!"  
  
"What??! You moronic... moron!!!!" Skuld immediatly answered back.  
  
Belldandy took Urd by the arm and led her in front of me. "Casting this spell requiers a lot of energy and concetration from both of you. Urd, don't let Peorth angry you, or you'll mess up."  
  
Skuld and Peorth could be heard arguing in background. A nerve twitched dangerously on Urd's head. "Silence them." She ordered her sister through clenched theet.  
  
Belldandy nodded, walked to them and instantly, there was no noise anymore. Then, she came back. "Urd, you have to step closer to her."  
  
She was now so close, I could feel the heat emanating from her body. The silver haired goddess plunged her emrald eyes in mine. "You ready?"  
  
I felt myself blushing and I gulped. "Yes." She was just a few inch taller than me.  
  
"Then let finish this quickly." Urd raised her right hand and it began glowing with some blue celtic-like desings. It was the only light in the room beside the candles the four of them were holding.  
  
****  
  
[Urd's point of view]  
  
I didn't detach my eyes from hers and she stared right back at me. In those crisom eyes I could see how much she trusted me, and I wouldn't decive her, I decided as I placed my left hand on her back.  
  
"Spirits of the dead  
  
Hear my voice.  
  
I, Urd, call upon for your help.  
  
May my hand  
  
Be the one of a ghost  
  
For a short time  
  
May I pass  
  
Only through the living one  
  
Lend me this favour"  
  
I lowered my right hand to her stomach, I knew it was now ghostly because of the suddent coldness and numbness in my fingers. She kept looking at me, determined to go through this. With that, I inserted my frozen hand in her warm body. The reaction was immediate: her eyes watered and she clenched her theet and fists.  
  
"It hurts?" I worriedly asked. She nodded, but kept her eyes on mine. "I'll try and make this quick." I began moving my hand in her stomach, it was and still is an undescripable feeling. Her breathing was becoming difficult as it clearly took up speed. "Do you want me to stop?"  
  
She shook her head 'no'. "We have to get this over with." She somehow managed to say. She was now sweating and she breathed harder and harder as I explored her insides. Yet, she kept her eyes on mine, as if I was some kind of promise to safety or something like that.  
  
I hit something. It was icy cold and hardly attached inside of her. I gripped it and started pulling, but as soon as I did that, she let out a horrible scream and shut her eyes, I could see her legs weakning. I felt a terrible ache in my own stomach, but I ignored it, for her sake. I released the dead bug and I imediatly felt better. She steadied herself. "Hold on to me, I'll try to take it off again." I told her and she placed both her of hands on my shoulders.  
  
I gripped the bug again and pulled harder onto it. She screamed again, a raw and animal-like scream, and her legs almost gave up under her weight. Her arms firmly placed around my neck were the only reason she didn't fell and she held me close to her as if it would stop the pain. All of this was killing me, both physically and mentaly... I was now acting subconsciously, pulling harder and harder on the fiend, the pain as spreading more and more in my own body to a point where it was almost intolerable, but the only thing that was really on my mind was her raged breath and the tears I could feel on my neck. I was now crying with her, but I doubted it was because of the physical pain.  
  
Finaly, I felt it ripp off and I extracted my hand as soon as I could, holding the dead bug firmly so I wouldn't drop it. We fell to the ground, exhausted. She was still crying and holding me close to her, her breathing was slowing down, though. "Sshh... It's alright..... It's over...." I rubbed her back with my left hand and kept my right hand (and the bug) at a safe distance.  
  
The last time I remember I saw her cry was when we were kids... it was the day I chose to become a goddess and not a demon. I so wanted to take her with me, to stop her tears.. but I couldn't.  
  
My sisters, Peorth and Keiichi ran to us. I didn't even took time to look at the bug, it was not worth it. I just gave it up to them and hugged Mara closer, as if I wanted to make up for that day I abandonned her, so long ago. Skuld trapped the corpse, if we can call it like that, in one of her weird mechanical container. Mara had calmed her tears and took hold of herself, she pulled away. "I'm sorry... I couldn't hold on...." She stared at the ground, ashamed.  
  
I pulled her close, unable to resist the urge to do so. "No, I'm sorry. You had t go through this because of me." We stayed like this until Peorth cleared her throat.  
  
"Now, now, girls. It's not over yet, we still have to erase it and to make sure there's nothing left inside of either of you." She pointed a finger at us.  
  
"Can't they rest first?" Belldandy, asked, reading my mind.  
  
"No. The sooner it's done, the sooner it's over. The sooner things can return to normal."  
  
I groaned.  
  
**** [Mara's point of view]  
  
By the time we were finished with the tests, the moon was already high in the sky. I was finally free to go. Though one thing stopped me from leaving immediatly. Urd looked at me, her eyes pleading. "Stay one more night. You really need to rest."  
  
Recluantly, I nodded and we headed to her room.  
  
------------------------------------  
  
It was around midnight, I think. I still wasn't asleep and looked over at Urd. She was lost in her dreams. She had used up so much of her energy to get that thing out of me. I was exausted too, but after what happened, I couldn't sleep... and I didn't knew if I would be able to both look at her the next morning and resist my urge to jump in her arms. I got up, got dressed and approached Urd's bed. I leaned and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"Good bye Urd. I wish to see you again really soon."  
  
With that, I flew out of the shrine.  
  
____________________________________________  
  
I'll try to update in a more reasonable period of time. It took me months to write this one. Couldn't bring myself to do it. Ugh... anyway. Hopefuly, the next one will be ready soon. 


	6. chapter6

WATCH _NOIR_ Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir Noir..  
  
And that was a brain-wash.  
  
The bug ch.6  
  
The night was particularly bright, the stars shining every now and then, the wind blowing in the leaves of the trees around the temple.  
  
Urd couldn't sleep. She lied in bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking of the demon that disappeared three days ago.  
  
'She didn't even bothered to say good bye.'  
  
"I don't care anyway." Urd declared to nobody in particular.  
  
'... or do you?' Her mind was on its free will, now.  
  
"How could she leave so quickly? After what happened, I thought..."  
  
'What did you thought?'  
  
"...I.... don't know...." She wasn't sure about anything anymore.  
  
'What's wrong with me? Why am I so worried about her?'  
  
"I hate her." She decided. She turned on her side and closed her eyes trying to sleep. An image of Mara flashed in her mind.  
  
'Her eyes like a brilliant fire...'  
  
'It's true she have incredible eyes...'  
  
'Her blond, nearly gold hair...'  
  
'The most beautiful hair...'  
  
'Her pale and smooth skin....'  
  
'Hey, wait...'  
  
'Every curve of her perfect body...'  
  
'What the hell?!??!?!'  
  
'What I would do to have her for myself just one night...'  
  
"AARRRGHH!!! I NEED to stop thinking about her!!!! " Urd nearly yelled as she bolted up. She walked to her door, got outside and tried to get her mind off her best friend. She sat down among the flowers and instantly realised how cold it really was. She shivered. 'I hope Mara's alright.... What if she has no place to stay?...' Urd wondered her thoughts drifting to the demon, again. She sighed, now knowing for sure that whatever she did she wouldn't get her thoughts off her friend. 'There's no way I...'  
  
Urd sighted heavily, looked up at the sky one last time and got inside her room. She walked to her bed, laid down, took a deep breath and asked her room: "I can't be in love with Mara, can I ?"  
  
Unfortunately, nothing answed her question, so she had to come to her senses by herself."I have to stop lying to myself... "  
  
" ...I have fallen for her..."  
  
______  
  
I know, very short. And I'm sorry. 


	7. chapter7

Lol. I'm in a writing spree. (Thanks to those who review) (ADORE DEVIL_URD) (AND NOIR) I'm writing chapter 8 and 9 at the same time and, for those who read the fic the first time I posted it, I'll remind you that I'm basically keeping the same content. I'm totally re-writing the chapters. And the next ones are new to the story! I'm changing the content after this. Watch me. ;P  
  
The bug ch.7  
  
[Urd's PoV]  
  
I woke up late that morning. I think that confession was what I needed to feel at peace and finally get some sleep. The problem now was: Should I tell her how I feel? And if I do, how is she going to react? There's no way she could love _me_.... not after what I put her through....  
  
I sighed, again wondering where she could be, and got up. I decided that the best for now was to expose my problem to Belldandy, without mentioning Mara, of course. I got to the living room.  
  
She was drinking tea with her boyfriend, the kid and the weirdo. I entered, but didn't bother to sit down. Belldandy's soft eyes examined me. "Still not feeling well?" She asked sadly.  
  
I shook my head no. I had been feeling like shit lately, even if I hadn't had a single drop of alcohol since the Mara episode. I even fainted more than once in the last days.... and it made me more and more worried about *her*. I suddenly realised everyone was staring at me with very concerned eyes and immediately felt _very_ uncomfortable.  
  
I needed an excuse to get out of here, when I remembered why I came in in the first place. "Belldandy, can I talk to you...." I eyed the three others "....in private?"  
  
Peorth, who was now uselessly floating around the room, came upside-down face to face with me, a cat-like smile spreading across her features. "Is there some secret you don't want us to know?" she asked teasingly. I stared at her, not bothering to answer and I must've I looked horribly sick and tiered because her grin immediately erased itself and she was back on her seat by the table.  
  
"Sure Urd, we'll go outside" She answered softly, getting up. As we left I could hear Keiichi whispering.  
  
"What's wrong with her?"  
  
"I wish I knew." Was, surprisingly, Peorth answer.  
  
"I never saw her that depressed." I heard Skuld say before we were too far to hear the rest of their conversation.  
  
****  
  
Outside, Belldandy waited for me to begin. So I did. "... I thought really hard about this one. There is someone... I think...No... I know I'm in love with."  
  
She smiled. "But that's great Urd! Why are you in such a mood?"  
  
I attempted to return her smile, but it was no use. I couldn't even smile to her... "The problem is: I can't love that person..."  
  
"Oh? May I ask why?" She really seemed confused.  
  
"I'm not allowed." I said flatly as I sat on the huge rock by the pond.  
  
"Oh?" She sat beside me.  
  
"It's against the rules." I crossed my arms around my knees, drawing them close to my body.  
  
"The rules?" She frowned. "Since when do you care about the rules?" She attempted to make me smile and she succeeded.  
  
I rested my head on her shoulder. "What should I do?"  
  
"Tell him." She stated firmly. I cringed hearing the _him_... but I know I should've expected that. "Well, what could you loose?"  
  
"Friendship?" I lifted my head to lock my eyes with hers.  
  
"If he really is your friend, and even if he does not feel the same about you, it shouldn't change a thing." She was so confident, I almost believed what she said.  
  
I sighed. Having this partly off my chest was a little relief. "Thanks, Bell."  
  
"You're welcome, Urd." She kept smiling that sweet smile of hers. We heard the phone ring.  
  
"Skuld? Can you get it, please?" Belldandy yelled.  
  
"Sure, big sister!" We heard the rather loud reply coming from the shrine.  
  
My sister turned back to me. "So, can I know who-" She began, but was interrupted: "Belldandyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!! It's Father!!!!!!!!!! He wants to talk to yyyoooouuuuu!" We heard Skuld yell at the top of her lungs.  
  
"Great! What doses HE wants?" I groaned and got up.  
  
"She has quite a voice." Belldandy noted as she stood up too.  
  
With that, we headed back to the shrine.  
  
****  
  
Belldandy took the phone as soon as she was inside.  
  
(Author Note: The "..." is Kami-Sama says on the phone.)  
  
"Hello, father." She said politely.  
  
...  
  
"Yes." She nodded even if she knew he couldn't see her.  
  
...  
  
She frowned. "No, she's OK. The bug died within her." I knew instantly that it was about Mara and was suddenly very interested.  
  
...  
  
Her frown deepened. "No she, left four days ago." I was getting worried... Why would he want to know where she is?  
  
...  
  
Her eyes widened and she clenched the telephone with both hands. "WHAT?!?! But that is IMPOSSIBLE!" Worry isn't the word to describe how I felt. It was way beyond that.  
  
...  
  
She gained back her composure, but the frown didn't disappear. "Yes "  
  
...  
  
"I know." She sighed.  
  
...  
  
"We'll do what we can."  
  
...  
  
"Yes, father."  
  
...  
  
"Goodbye."  
  
"What happened?" I asked as soon as Belldandy hung up.  
  
"Hild called Heaven." Belldandy answered.  
  
"What? Why?" That caught Peorth's attention.  
  
Belldandy played looked at feet, she looked almost afraid to answer. We stood in silence, waiting for her to explain what was going on, when finally, I couldn't take it anymore. "What happened to Mara?" I whispered.  
  
Bell looked up, tears slowly running down her cheeks. "It seems like she.... completely disappeared."  
  
**** To be continued  
  
I'm trying my best, here. Please review. (and love devil_urd) (and Noir) I'm misunderstood. ¯~¯ 


	8. chapter8

Well, oh well. I didn't liked that one very much, but Devil_urd said it was good. So here it is.  
  
The bug ch.8  
  
[Urd's PoV]  
  
Bell looked up, tears slowly running down her cheeks. "It seems like she.... completely disappeared."  
  
I froze. My younger sister kept staring at me with teary eyes. Peorth was obviously trying to find a rational explanation and probably racked her brain for one. A huge question mark could almost be seen above Keiichi and Skuld's head.  
  
"There's not even the slightest trace of where she....?" Peorth gulped when Belldandy shook her head.  
  
"Two days ago.. she just disappeared.... Neither Heaven nor Hell can contact her... and they don't know where she is...." She looked at me. "....Urd's our only proof she's still alive."  
  
Silence.  
  
"So what?" Skuld questioned.  
  
I turned to her, feeling anger building quickly. "So _what_?!?! _SO WHAT_?!?! Hello?!?! Neither the god's or the demon's system could localise her!!!!!!" I yelled.  
  
Peorth rested a hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me. "It never happened, Kid." She continued. "Every being, every object, even a specific drop of water could be found in a matter of seconds. So how could a first class demon be outside the reach of the systems? "  
  
Skuld looked at her feet. "So it's _that_ serious?" She quietly asked.  
  
"Yes." Belldandy sighed, whipping her tears. "And I promised father we would try and find her. Hild already sent some of her own minions to look for Mara."  
  
"And?" Keiichi asked.  
  
"There isn't any trace left. She easily could've been... erased." Tears were back in her eyes. "Fortunately, as long as Urd's alive. and well, we know Mara's alright."  
  
"But I'm not well." I stated what the others were thinking in the back of their heads. "I am not well. maybe she's dying, right now." I clenched my teeth. "And all we do is stand here moping about how we're useless and we don't know where she could be."  
  
I stormed out, but as soon as I was out the room, I felt a violent pain to my heart. I fell to the ground in a loud thud witch attracted the others. My breathing increased dangerously and I clutched a hand to my chest.  
  
"Urd!!" Belldandy crouched next to me and began stoking my back. Peorth fell to her knees before me and tried to look at my face. "What's the matter? Urd!" I began coughing violently and, looking at my hand, I saw, horrified, that I coughed blood. 'Mara, where are you?' was the last thing I thought before my eyes rolled back and I was unconscious.  
  
***  
  
[Mara's PoV]  
  
When I left, I headed west and flew for a whole day, minus the three or four stops I made in order to stay conscious.. my present state forced me to search beyond mortal's possibilities for the strength to continue. Being still weak, I didn't go far but still managed to find myself in a place I didn't even know existed. It was desolate and abandoned, but I soon realised not abandoned by everyone. As soon as I landed, I felt the over- whelming darkness of this land penetrate my soul. I knew instantly I was in a cursed or/and haunted place.  
  
Being a demon, a first class one, it shouldn't have bothered me to the least, but my limited condition was now seriously frightening me. In those kind of places, you can find anything. even creatures that live eating demon flesh.  
  
I wandered around until nighttime and found a cave where I could sleep. Strange how when you're roof-less you can find caves anywhere. As soon as I was inside, the rain and thunder raged on the deserted land. I thought I had been lucky.. if I knew what had waited for me inside, I would've gladly stayed in the rain.  
  
Not knowing my future fate, I lied down to relax. Closing my eyes to think back on the past events. Urd had been worried about me... Me as her friend, nothing more. I kept reminding myself that she was just a friend, my best friend, but that I shouldn't be hoping for more 'cause I know I would be rejected if I dared do or say something that's out of place.  
  
I felt a presence near and sat up, tensed and ready to fight back an enemy. I could feel 'it'. It was hiding among the shadows, deeper in the cave. Out of the said shadows came. a kitten.  
  
'What is a kitten doing here?' I asked myself, relaxing again. It mewed cutely and stepped forward to meet me. It stopped a feet before me and mewed some more. 'What does it want?' I frowned and crossed my arms, annoyed. Then I felt them. The others. An army of kittens came out of the shadows and sat beside the first one. I gulped.  
  
'Something's wrong.'  
  
And I was right.  
  
The first kitten opened its mouth and it quickly transformed into a purple- gigantic-very-well-teeth-and-black-saliva-equipped mouth. To my horror, all the army mimicked it and soon, small kittens with heads at least six times their bodies and traumatisingly large mouths surrounded me.  
  
"What the fuck?" I mouthed.  
  
And that was their signal. They threw themselves at me, but royally missed when I quickly flew out of the cave. I realised I had walked in the nest of what we call 'eaters'. They're horrible creatures that can put on any appearance they like, and when they're near enough, they eat you: human, god, demon, animal. They don't make distinction; meat is meat. They're quite stupid, really. But still so dangerous.  
  
I flew as fast as I could to get out of their reach, and they quickly lost my trace. Though one of them had the time to bite my leg, I managed to escape the thousand of others. I slept under a dead tree, under the rain, that night.  
  
It was now two days since I left and I felt horribly sick. I shouldn't have slept in the cold mud. I decided to contact the Queen, so I could be called back home to recover. It didn't worked; She didn't hear my call... I tried to understand what could be wrong, when I remembered the eater's bite. Shit. Their hacking poison.  
  
Eaters have been exiled because of three reasons. First: They can out- number any race quickly because they reproduce themselves _very_ quickly. Second: If they could reproduce themselves, as they wanted, they would eat all the other living beings and would soon be reduced to eat their own kind. Third: The hacking poison. When you get bitten, you're virtually dead. Neither heaven nor hell can find you, if you can't be found, normally, it's because you're dead. And if you're not cured in the next few days, you die. For real.  
  
I had to make it to somewhere safe on my on.and the only place I hoped to be safe was back to Japan, Morisato's residence. Reassembling all that was left of my strength, I tried to fly back there. I didn't have that much time left.  
  
It's only after two days of non-stop flying that I was finally able to reach Tokyo. I didn't made it to the shrine, though. I had to stop in an alley because the hacking poison began making its effect. I felt it deep inside, taking hold of my heart and forcing me to land. I fell to my knees, breathing hard and coughing blood. I couldn't move anymore. I lied down, cursing myself for leaving as I closed my eyes.  
  
****  
  
To be continued.  
  
Worship Devil_Urd. And Noir. Mireille ownz all. Kirika rocks. 


	9. chapter9

Oooo! I'm updating again!! *holds up aplause sing* *smiles like mad* Tell me you're clapping. Please??  
  
The bug ch.9  
  
[Urd's PoV]  
  
When I came to my senses, it was Peorth who was waiting by my bed. The fact that she was asleep made me wonder what time it was. I glanced around for any indication of the time, but all I could see is that it was dark outside. Trying to replace the events that occurred while I was awake, I remembered the pain and coughing blood. Strangely, I seemed a little better and that meant Mara was getting better, and that whatever happened to her, she survived it. I was temporarily relieved. I sat up and turned back to the brown haired goddess. "Peorth?" I asked softly, touching gently her shoulder.  
  
The goddess snapped her head up and glared at me. "I wasn't sleep--" Then tears. "URD!!!" And she threw her arms around my neck, hugging me. "I was so worried we were so worried how are you does it hurt somewhere did--" she babbled.  
  
I pulled back and she immediately shut up. "I'm alright... feeling weak, though." She nodded. "What time is it?"  
  
"You've only been asleep for half a day." She smiled. "Skuld is asleep and Keiichi and Belldandy are in the living room. It was my turn to look after you." She got up. "I'll got and get them."  
  
I nodded and lied back down, I could hear the phone ring in background.  
  
****  
  
[Narrator's PoV]  
  
"Hello, Morisato residence" It was Keiichi who answered and he immediately regretted it.  
  
"HHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The scream, witch had been heard in the entire house, could be identified as only one person.  
  
He sighed. "What is it, Megumi?" Keiichi thought he was now death from his left ear.  
  
.............  
  
His eyes widened. "What????"  
  
.............  
  
"Hold on...." He began, but changed his mind. "No. Stay right where you are. Belldandy and I are coming!" And he slammed the phone down.  
  
****  
  
[Urd's PoV]  
  
Peorth was now back with Belldandy, Keiichi had answered the phone and, apparently, the topic was 'Help!'.  
  
"Urd, I'm so relieved yo--" My sister began, but was cut short by Keiichi. The phone call hadn't been very long....  
  
"Belldandy! Megumi called!!! Let's go!!!" He took her by the hand and ran out so fast nobody had time to react.  
  
The front door slammed shut.  
  
Silence.  
  
"What was that?" I asked Peorth, very confused.  
  
"I don't know, dear...." She shrugged and began floating around as she like she always does. "Well that leaves only you and me." She smiled.  
  
"And Skuld." I added.  
  
She began floating over my bed. "She's asleep." She was still smiling and I was beginning to be afraid.  
  
"Hum... I'm kinda thirsty. Could you bring some sa--"  
  
"Water." She scolded and flew out.  
  
****  
  
[Mara's PoV]  
  
I couldn't make out what happened exactly, but I know that, at some point, rain began to fall. I was soaked and felt the bitter cold to my bones. Then, I remember somebody picking me up in the alley. I kept hoping it was Urd.... even if I knew better.... the voice wasn't her's. The person was trying to keep me conscious by asking me several questions.  
  
"What happened? What happened??" He questioned, dropping his backpack and helping me on his back. I grunted.  
  
I knew that voice... I knew that aura... It was.... Keiichi's? No... not quite... It was a woman.... her body was warm.. "get.... Urd." I managed to whisper, hoping she understood. And then, everything went black, again.  
  
****  
  
[Narrator's PoV]  
  
Keiichi speeded up. 'Why does this bike seems so damn slow??' He thought as they headed toward Megumi's apartment.  
  
"Keiichi, slow down!" Belldandy called. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"  
  
Keiichi turned to glance at the goddess beside him. "Megumi needs help... She said she found a woman with strange symbols on her forehead, like you. She also said the woman told her to 'get Urd' before she collapsed. "  
  
Belldandy's eyes widened, understanding. "You think..."  
  
Keiichi nodded. "I think... I think she found Mara."  
  
*****  
  
Keiichi banged on the door. "Megumi!! Open up!!"  
  
As soon as she opened, Keiichi and Belldandy rushed in. "Where is she??" The goddess asked immediately.  
  
"In my bed." Megumi led them to her room. "I called the hospital, but they wouldn't take her in, there's no room left... and I don't have any money. I really don't know what I can do..." She continued as they entered her room.  
  
"Mara!!" Belldandy rushed to the demons' side. "Thank God...." She felt the other woman's forehead. 'That's a lot of fever...'  
  
"She's got a strange bite on the leg." Megumi pointed to Mara's right leg. The goddess undid the bandage to reveal four purple/black holes. "I bandaged it and disinfected it. And I gave her pills for the fever and a lot of water.... that's all I could do." She sighed.  
  
Belldandy examined the small holes. 'That's an eater's bite... I just need to destroy the poison and she'll be alright....' Then, She realised something, to her horror. 'If Megumi hadn't treated Mara's wound in time, she would've died... and Urd too.' She turned to the woman who was standing behind her, tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
"Thank you, Megumi." Belldandy smiled warmly. "Thank you so very much."  
  
Megumi scratched the back of her head. "... You're welcome Bell."  
  
"....Bell....dandy?" A weak voice whispered.  
  
"Mara?! How are you?" Belldandy grabbed her friend's hand.  
  
".... g...get... it.... out of me... " Mara struggled to get the words out. "... I... w-won't... take it.... any...l..longer." She clung to Belldandy's hand.  
  
"Get what?" Megumi asked quizzically.  
  
"Hum... err...." Keiichi smiled. "Bell, can't we do this at home?"  
  
She shook her head. "Mara won't make it until then. I have to do it _now_."  
  
"Some magic trick, again?" Megumi asked, out of the blue.  
  
Keiichi and Belldandy stared at her in shock.  
  
"What? I'm not stupid, you know. Weird things happened since Belldandy came here and everything is somehow linked to her or her sisters... or that weird gal I saw _floating_ around the shrine." She mimicked a certain goddess flying around. "*That* scared the shit out of me. I thought I had gone crazy."  
  
"Peorth." The couple sighed in unison.  
  
"Whatever you say... Now I'd like to know the truth." Megumi crossed her arms. Belldandy and Keiichi looked at each other. "But I don't think it's the time to be asking this." She smiled and winked, sticking out her tongue. "Do whatever you have to do."  
  
They smiled at her and turned back to Mara.  
  
"So what now?" Keiichi asked.  
  
"You'll have to sit her up.... Megumi, could you bring a bowl or something?"  
  
She nodded and got to her kitchen as Belldandy sat before Mara who was using Keiichi as a support.  
  
****  
  
Urd sat in her bed and drank slowly her water, eyeing Peorth suspiciously. The said goddess was floating before her, not moving, not even blinking, staring at her with such an odd look that it gave Urd the chills.  
  
"Would you stop staring at me??" She finally asked annoyed.  
  
"No." Peorth answered flatly.  
  
"And why is that?" Urd asked, even more annoyed.  
  
"Because Belldandy asked me to keep an eye on you." She smiled.  
  
"And since when do you listen to my sister? Isn't she 'your greatest rival' ?" Urd asked sarcastically  
  
Peorth frowned. "I don't think she is anymore." She answered casually, resting her head in her left hand.  
  
"Great! What have I done that was soooo impressing?" She angrily waived her hands around.  
  
"Oh, it not you." Peorth just stared at her.  
  
"Then who?" Urd crossed her arms.  
  
"You're beautiful, you know that?" She smiled fondly, avoiding the question.  
  
Urd felt a deep blush creep to her cheeks. "W-W-W-What???"  
  
Peorth kept smiling. "I said--" But before she could repeat, Urd was thrown back on the bed; sweating and apparently suffering like hell. "Urd!" She sat on the bed and took Urd in her arms, stroking her back. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be fine..." She hushed.  
  
****  
  
Belldandy kept her forehead symbol joined with Mara's. Keiichi was keeping her still and Megumi was holding a bowl beside the demon's wound.  
  
"Ew!!!! What's that!!!??" She cried as a black liquid dripped out of the holes into the bowl.  
  
"I think 'that' would be the poison." Keiichi answered, watching as the last drops of the liquid was pushed out of the wounds.  
  
Mara, who had been clenching her teeth all the time during, exhaled deeply, relaxing, and looked up at Belldandy who finally parted with her. "So how are you?" the goddess asked, out of breath.  
  
Mara smiled. "Better, thanks.... I'd like to sleep, now..." She lied back down and fell asleep automatically.  
  
"What a weird chick." Megumi stated, looking at Mara.  
  
"You have no idea." Keiichi smiled at his sister.  
  
****  
  
To be continued....  
  
Reviews are always apreciated. ( 


	10. chapter10

Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad there is some people who read the fic. (  
  
The bug chapter 10  
  
[Narrator's PoV]  
  
Urd had fallen asleep at the same time Mara did. It was around 2:00 am now, and Keiichi and Belldandy had been gone for four hours. Peorth, who still held the other goddess in her arms, considered going back to her room. "It's probably not safe to leave alone. But I don't wanna sleep in the damned chair." She wined to no one in particular. The phone rang for the second time this night. Recluantly, Peorth let go of Urd in order to go answer the phone.  
  
"Yeah, what??" She barked.  
  
"Peorth?" Keiichi asked, surprised by the outburst.  
  
"Do you have *any* idea what time it is?? You've been gone for hours! What am I supposed to do??? I need my beauty sleep, you know!!" She hissed, remembering the two goddesses that, hopefully, were still sleeping.  
  
"Yeah, I know. We're sorry." He apologized sincerely.  
  
"Where are you two? Don't tell me a love hotel or something 'cause you didn't choose the right time to--"  
  
"Peorth!!" He blushed. "We're at Megumi's. And no she's not having a party." He added, knowing what the goddess was thinking. "Listen, she. she found Mara."  
  
"What?" She didn't knew if she was angry or relieved.  
  
"We cured her and she'll be alright. Is Urd ok?"  
  
"Yeah." She sighed. "What happened? When are you coming back?"  
  
"Well." He began "I don't know exactly what happened, you'll have to ask Bell. Now, the problem is. Mara is a little weak for us to move her right now, so we'll wait until tomorrow morning."  
  
"And how is that a problem?" She asked.  
  
"Well. we can't leave her like that with Megumi, what if she needs Belldandy's help?" He tried to explain.  
  
"What? Go straight to the point!" Peorth growled, rubbing her temples. She was tiered and wanted to sleep.  
  
"Belldandy fell asleep and we're staying here for the night." He blurted.  
  
"Huh? You mean you're not coming back?" She nearly shouted.  
  
"Err. no?" He whimpered, afraid of her reaction.  
  
She sighed. "Ok, then. See you tomorrow."  
  
"H-hey! Wait!" He stammered before she had time to hang up. "Aren't you angry or anything?"  
  
She thought his question over. "No." She simply stated.  
  
"No?" He repeated.  
  
"Listen, I may be a little selfish, I know that. But you guys need help and I understand, ok?" She answered frankly.  
  
"Oh." He looked down at his feet, ashamed of his previous reaction. "Take care of Urd, ok?" He mumbled.  
  
"Sure thing." She whispered more to herself than to him.  
  
"Good night, Peorth." He said.  
  
"Sweet dreams, Keiichi." She replied quietly before hanging up.  
  
Peorth strolled back to Urd's room and stopped before the bed. "What am I going to do with you?" She asked softly, running her hand through the silver hair. "Is it safe to leave you alone and go to my room?" She murmured again, caressing the other goddess' cheek. Urd mumbled something in her sleep and grasped Peorth's hand, holding onto it firmly.  
  
'Great.' She thought, not knowing what she should do anymore. After a short deliberation, she was settled.  
  
Peorth hopped in Urd's bed and cuddled the goddess close to her before falling asleep.  
  
****  
  
When Peorth woke up, little rays of light were passing through the curtains and she could hear the birds chirping in background. She couldn't hear Skuld nor Keiichi or Belldandy. 'Must still be early. They're not back yet..' She thought stuffing her head back in her pillow. 'Pillow.?' She thought half asleep, feeling the living and *breathing* form below her head and soon remembered that she had been sleeping with Urd.  
  
She yelped and yanked away. Looking up at Urd, she saw that her friend was still asleep and relaxed, deposing her head next to the white haired goddess. 'Phew... I wouldn't have known what to say if she would've been awake...'  
  
Peorth kept staring at the sight of beauty before her and sighed again, reaching up to gently caress the other goddess' lips. 'I wonder if....' She lifted herself to rest on her elbow and observed Urd some more. 'It won't hurt if no one knows....' She bent, bringing her face closer and closer to Urd's.  
  
"Peorth?!?!" Skuld called from the door.  
  
'Shit!' Peorth cursed inwardly, as her eyes widened. She sprang away from Urd and sat up.  
  
"What in the world where you...?" She began, but something seemed to dawn on her. Skuld stared at Peorth incredulously as a blush crept to her cheeks.  
  
"It's not what you think it is!!!" She immediatly began to wave her hands before her, trying to defend herself.  
  
"What the hell are you two doing in here?" Urd asked sleepily, slowly sitting up. She then eyed Peorth. "Why are _you_ in my bed?" She frowned, still only half-awake.  
  
But before Peorth had time to say anything.... "She tried to kiss you!!" Skuld blurted pointing an accusing finger at the brown haired goddess.  
  
"Shut up, Skuld!" Peorth growled.  
  
It took several seconds for Urd to completely wake up and understand what was happening. She turned to Peorth, a blank expression masking her real thoughts. "Tell me, Peorth.... is it true?"  
  
Skuld was still blushing but watching the scene with interrest.  
  
Peorth gulped. A first class goddess can't lie. "Damit." She mumbeled as she got up and ran out, leaving the two sisters to their confusion.  
  
****  
  
"Damit, damit, damit." She kept cursing under her breath as she exited the temple.  
  
Getting out, she ran into the last person she wanted to see. "Hey! watch it!" Mara grumbled, holding onto Keiichi's arm in order to keep her balance.  
  
Peorth shot her a venomous glare that left them all perplex before continuing her way.  
  
Belldandy frowned worriedly.  
  
"What's with her?" Keiichi asked himself aloud.  
  
"She's angry with Urd." Skuld seemed to apear out of nowhere. "Or with me... I don't quite understand." She scratched her head.  
  
"What did you do?" He sighed, expecting the worst.  
  
"It wasn't me or Urd, it was her." Skuld answered defensively.  
  
"What did she do?" Mara asked, curious.  
  
Everyone waited expectantly for her to answer. But she just stuck out her tongue at them. "Not telling." She said, heading back to her room casualy.  
  
****  
  
To be continued... 


	11. chapter11

I know Peorth's crush on Urd is a little surprising for some, but, if you've seen the movie, it shouldn't. Or if you saw the movie, maybe you haven't noticed the way they talk softly on the phone or how Urd was so relieved to hear from Peorth and so on and so forth... for the people who only saw the anime and movie, UrdxPeorth probably makes more sense than UrdxMara (Mara doesn't even exist in the anime ~.~)  
  
Anyway, having seen both the manga and anime, I tried to write something that made sense, but if you think I'm totally out of it, then please pardon me, I'm doing my best T.T  
  
BTW, Seravy, thanks for the idea, I'll probably add some flashbacks. = )  
  
The bug Chapter 11  
  
[Mara's PoV]  
  
Peorth's actions bothered me alot and the fact that Skuld wouldn't tell us what happened didn't help. Bellandy was worried, it was written on face.  
  
"You're worried, Bell?" Keiichi asked as if he read my mind. She nodded, still staring at Peorth, who was sitting on the bigest rock by the pond. "They always fight, it can't be that bad." He smiled, resting a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him, but she didn't smiled back. His grin dissapeared and I was getting worried.  
  
"I don't know, Keiichi." She kept frowning. "I really sense that something's very wrong." She took hold of the hand resting on her shoulder. "Usualy, Peorth's never that angry and Skuld tells me what happened."  
  
"And Urd is storming around, yelling and casting all sorts of thunder spells." I added. Keiichi sweat dropped, but Belldandy simply nodded.  
  
He sighed. "You're right... maybe we should try and talk to them? Find out what happened?" he suggested.  
  
"We'll do that." Belldandy agreed.  
  
"I think you should talk with Skuld, since she doesn't like me or Mara. I'll try and calm Peorth bacause she seems to hate Mara too. And that leaves Urd." He looked at me.  
  
"Geez, that sounded like some war plan." I answered.  
  
They just smiled. Hell, what am I supposed to do now? Well first, head to Urd's room and see how she's doing...  
  
****  
  
I knoked softly on the door, afaird to disturb her.  
  
"Go away." I heard her say from the depths of her room. I entered anyway.  
  
She was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. "Are you death? I said--" She stoped short as she saw me.  
  
"Hi..." I said, my eyes resting on the ground. "I came to see how you were doing..." I mumbled. Hearing no response, I looked up at her.  
  
"It's really you?" She just whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.  
  
"Don't cry..." I closed the door behind me.  
  
"I was so worried..." Urd sniffed, trying to stop her tears. I advanced towards her and sat on her bed. I froze as she rested her head on my shoulder. "I thought... I thought I'd never see you again... " She sobbed, burying her head in my neck and hugging me.  
  
I hugged her back, feeling the tears build up in my eyes as well. "I'm sorry." I whispered in her hair. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...." I kept repeating, holding back the tears.  
  
After having stayed like this for what seemed like hours, I pulled back. "I came to check up on you." I observed her reaction.  
  
"I'm well..." She looked at the floor, but I forced her to face me.  
  
"What happened? What did Peorth do?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.  
  
Urd lied back down on her bed and pulled her blanket over her head. "Don't wanna talk about it." She grumbeled.  
  
"Oh, please..." I sighed, poking through the blanket. "You can't stay like this forever, just tell me what happened."  
  
Silence.  
  
"No."  
  
"Come on!!" I pulled the blanket to get her to look at me.  
  
She sat up, and glared at me. "Look. I DON'T want to talk about it, ok? It's none of your buisness." And she was back under her blanket. "Just let me be." She ordered.  
  
"What the fuck?" I mouthed. "Fine, then." I left her alone.  
  
****  
  
When I entered the living room, Keiichi and Belldandy were waiting for me.  
  
"How did it go? You learned anything?" He asked curiously.  
  
"No such luck." I sighed. "I take it you didn't learn anything either, heh?"  
  
They both shook their head no.  
  
"Damit!" I cursed under my breath. I had to know what happened, and if Urd wouldn't tell me, I would ask someone else. Peorth was out of the question, she's powerfull and I don't think I could make her talk easily. That left the kid.  
  
Wordlessly, I left the room and headed to Skuld's room.  
  
****  
  
[Narrator's PoV]  
  
Mara slammed the door open. "Hey, Kid!"  
  
Skuld, who had been working meticulously on reparing one of her machines, jumped and turned to glare at her. "What do you want?"  
  
"Nice room." Mara ignored the question as she looked around, checking up some inventions. "Do you have any that forces someone to dance?"  
  
"Why would you want that?" Skuld frowned.  
  
"No reason." She continued the inspection. "Do you have any to make ice cream?"  
  
"This one." Skuld pointed proudly at a machine by her bed.  
  
"Cool." Mara crouched beside it and pressed start. A bowl of ice cream apeared on the little plate. "Do you have one to cancel gravity?"  
  
"That one." Skuld pointed to another one.  
  
"Do you have one that..." Mara finished the ice cream. "teleports things?"  
  
"There." She pointed the one she was repairing.  
  
"that changes our mood?" Mara returned to the ice cream one for another bowl.  
  
Skuld rolled her eyes. "That one."  
  
"that detects evil energy?" She asked, her mouth full.  
  
"Here." She pointed another machine as she returned to the one she was repairing.  
  
"That forces someone to tell the truth?" Mara asked nonchalantly.  
  
"That one." Skuld tossed her a weird headband.  
  
"How do I use it?" She observed it closely.  
  
"Put on the head, switch on, ask question." She answered roboticaly, not realising the mistake she'd just done.  
  
Mara smiled evily.  
  
"Hey! what are you doing?!?!!" Skuld cried, as the demon forced the thing on her head.  
  
"Now tell me: what happened?" Mara held Skuld's head firmly so that she wouldn't take the metal headband off.  
  
Skuld glared at her. "This morning I came to check on Urd and Peorth was lying in bed with her. Urd was asleep and Peorth was about to kiss her. On the *lips*." She shivered, blushing. "It was traumatising."  
  
Mara's face paled. "What?"  
  
"And then Urd woke up and asked what was happening and I told her and Peorth got angry and stormed out and--" Skuld stopped as Mara removed the headband.  
  
"You wanted to know so badly?!" Skuld grumbeled, blushing.  
  
Mara didn't answered. She slowly strutted to the door and exited wordlessly.  
  
****  
  
to be continued 


	12. chapter12

I'm thinking of sending the thing on the shoujo ai forum. Tell me if I should, please...  
  
The bug ch.12  
  
[Narrator'sPoV]  
  
Mara silently entered the living room and sat quietly with Belldandy and Keiichi. She poured herself a cup of tea, not saying a word. Her skin, usualy very pale, was now white, her eyes were unfocused and her actions robotic.  
  
"Mara?" Belldandy risked herself. "... you learned anything?"  
  
Mara just drank her tea, slowly and calmly.  
  
"Mara?" Keiichi asked too.  
  
"Please." She whispered after a short silence. "Please... I don't want to talk right now..." Finishing her tea, she poured herself another cup. She drank it in silence and Belldandy and Keiichi observed her worriedly. He looked at his watch.  
  
"Oh, crap!" He got up. "Bell, if we don't go, we'll be late and Megumi will be mad!"  
  
"You're right..." She sighed and turned to Mara. "We have to meet up with Megumi in ten minutes..." She smiled. "Somehow she knew we are diffrent and Keiichi and I promised her to explain what's happening."  
  
"Yea, so we really have to go.... You'll be alright?" He looked worried.  
  
Mara nodded. "You can go...." She got up too. "I have something to do anyway." She headed outside.  
  
****  
  
"Peorth...?" Mara asked, her voice lacking her usual confidence.  
  
Peorth turned to glare at Mara. "What do *you* want??"Mara scratched the back of her head, not sure if she was doing the right thing. "What?!" She asked again, impatiently.  
  
"I heard what happened." She blurted, looking at her feet.  
  
Peorth paled. "So what? It's not like you'd care about something like that, anyway." She tried to brace herself.  
  
The demon kept staring at the ground. "Actually.... I do."  
  
That last statement confirmed the goddesse's fears. Peorth stayed voiceless for a moment, even if there was hundreds of questions popping up in her mind. But the only thing she managed to ask was "Why?"  
  
Mara couldn't bring herself to look at Peorth. She was willing to admit that confessing what she really felt was surely the hardest thing she ever had to do in her life. "Because I...." She gulped "I feel the same way you do about her."  
  
Peorth knew that was what the demon would say - she knew it from the very begining - but she still felt socked to hear it. "...And? I had a chance and I took it. You didn't and it's your problem."  
  
Mara finally looked at the goddess in front of her. "I think what you did was wrong."  
  
That wasn't expected. Peorth felt the anger reach a level in her it never had reached before. "What??"  
  
"You took advantage of the fact that she was sleeping. And that was wrong." Mara gulped again, but was more confident.  
  
Peorth stood up in front of the demon, trying her best not to strangle her right there. "Let me get this straight. *You*, a *demon* dare to say that *I*, a *first class goddess* did something that was wrong??" She took a step towards Mara. "You say I did something that was unacceptable, when you, you trick people into selling their souls to the Devil??!"  
  
From Peorth was emanating so much hate and anger than it acctualy scared Mara enough to step back. But not enough to scare her from answering. "Yes." She stated firmly. "Despite the fact that I took this job, I still have a conscience. And I know that what you did was wrong."  
  
And that was too much for Peorth. Something snaped deep inside of her and she threw a punch at Mara, who fell to the ground.  
  
The demon, who was used to fights (due to her bad temper) sprang up immediatly and reflexively got into a defensive fighting stence. Her risen fists only invited Peorth to continue to attack.  
  
She jumped at Mara who flipped her on to her back as soon as she came into contact. Peorth slammed into the ground, back first, but she was quickly back on her feet, eyes throwing daggers. "Take that, bitch!" She mumbeled to herself as she quickly sumoned the earth and rose vines sprang around Mara to immobilize her.  
  
The demon could feel the thorns cutting in her flesh as the huge stems embraced her, preventing her from moving freely. Before she knew it, Peorth's knee had landed squarely in the middle of her chest, knocking the air out of her. The angry goddess droped back on the ground, but didn't stopped herself. She threw a series of violent punch in Mara's abdomen, making her spit blood and probably breaking some ribs.  
  
"Hell's fire!" Mara hissed, knowing she had to react and fast if she wanted to win this. In an instant, the plant was burnt to ashes and she was free. Her fire spell didn't hurt her, but she had seriously burnt Peorth's fists in the prossess.  
  
Peorth growled and backed a few feets away, cursing the fact that Mara obviously had the advantage, being able to use the fire to burn her roses. Both used the short pause to catch their breath and sumon spells to heal the major damage.  
  
"Stop it, Peorth." Mara commanded. "I don't wanna hurt you." She lied. Of course she wanted to hurt the goddess, you don't just let go somebody who attacked you saying 'It's alright I forgive you', but she didn't wanted to fight here and now. It would hurt both Belldandy and Urd.  
  
"LIAR!" Peorth screamed. "I know very well what you want! I know your kind! You... you're all about fights and pain! You live to hurt the others and that's why I won't let you have Urd!"  
  
You know how they say that the truth hurts more than anything? Well that's what it did with Mara. She lost all she had left of her calm and attacked. She jumped towards Peorth and threw a fast kick. Peorth, howerver, saw it coming and smoothly step out of the way, before fiering a punch at her face. The demon grabed her fist and, pulling her closer, aimed one at her ribs but it was blocked by the goddess' other hand. They realeased eachother and backed up a little. Mara jumped towards Peorth once again and, with a sweeping kick, brought my legs out from under her. Falling to the ground, only the fact that she could fly allowed her to catch herself before her head hit the pavement. Floating at only a few centimeters from the ground, Peorth tried to get on her feet, but Mara was quicker and slamed her into the ground.  
  
The goddess rolled over and got back to her feet in time to see Mara's punch. Peorth ducked and jumped at a height humans can not, spinning around with incredible speed and bringing her leg around to slam it into the side of Mara's head. The demon flew back, hitting one of the fragile, paper-made walls of the shrine and going through it.  
  
Skuld cried as a bruised and beaten up Mara knocked her down, coming out of nowhere.  
  
"Sorry, kid." She grumbeled as she got off of her and jumped back outside.  
  
"Huh?" Skuld was more intrigued than scared and popped her head outside the hole.  
  
Mara had rushed back to Peorth, who was almost as bruised as her. She ran at her making it look like she was going to tackle her, but at the last minute, she dropped to her knees and slid between the goddess' legs. She hopped up, and just as Peorth spined back to face her, she grabbed the woman's arm and slammed her down onto the ground, yet again. Using all of her strenght, Peorth kicked Mara with both of her feet as she used her arms to spring up.  
  
Skuld watched the combat, horrified. "What?? What's happening here?" Too scared to try and stop them as the fight went on, she did the only thing she thought logical: get Urd.  
  
Rolling over and leaping to her feet, Mara was just in time to be elbowed across the face. She stumbeled back, trying to ignore the pain and forced herself to look in her oponent's direction. Her eyes bugged as she saw the next attack. A new vine had grown up from somewhere behind Peorth and it's only stem was quickly flying towards her, threatening to impale her. She caught it between her hands, sumoning once again the cursed fire to burn it, and looked up at Peorth. That small distraction had given the goddess the time to aproach her enough and she tackled her, pinning her to the ground.  
  
'Shit!' Mara thought. 'I didn't fully recovered from the poison yet... I'm gonna lose..'  
  
"Do you really think you can win against me??" Peorth laughed as she bucked and squirmed, trying to get free. "Do you really think I would let you win?"  
  
"You're mad!" The demon screamed. "Let me go!"  
  
"Face it, you're not worth shit! You were never welcomed!" Peorth continued, ignoring the other woman. "You will never be good enough for Urd."  
  
"You think I don't know that??" Mara yelled, tears in her eyes, as she headbutted the goddess.  
  
Peorth's grip weakened and Mara rolled to the side, until she was on top, she tugged her arms to get them out of the goddess' grip and hopped up.  
  
Mara sniffed and whiped her eyes. They got ready to attack eachother again but Mara froze. Peorth glanced behind her to see why the demon stopped short and froze too. Urd was standing only a few feets away, Skuld hiding behind her.  
  
"What's happening here?" Urd whispered. "What's the meaning of all this?"  
  
*****  
  
To be continued.... 


	13. chapter13

Hum... sorry for the late update... I'll edit more frequently....  
  
The bug ch.13  
  
[Narrator's PoV]  
  
"What's the meaning of all this?" Urd whispered again.  
  
Peorth and Mara stood there, speechless, their bodies beaten up, their clothes half torn and half burnt.  
  
"I'm asking what the HELL happened!" Urd advanced angrily and stepped next to Peorth, who was the closest. "Tell me!"  
  
"Tell you what?" The other goddess asked arrogantly.  
  
"Why were you fighting? What were you talking about?" She asked, recalling what she had heard of their conversation. 'You're mad! Let me go!' Mara had yelled. Then, she couldn't hear what Peorth had said, but had caught on a few words 'Face it!... shit...good enough....' and then, Mara screamed 'You think I don't know that'  
  
What were they saying?  
  
Urd turned toward the demon, since the goddess wouldn't answer. "Mara, you tell me, then."  
  
But Mara only stared at her, not willing to answer either. Urd was about to walk to her, but Peorth grabbed her hand. "Wait..."  
  
"What?" Urd frowned but her eyes widened as Peorth pulled her into a kiss.  
  
Mara's heart stopped. How dare did Peorth do that? And in front of her? She watched as Urd didn't seem to be sure how to react. Her eyes were wide opened and she was holding her breath. Skuld looked disgusted.  
  
Finally, Peorth pulled back and looked into the other goddess' eyes. "I love you." She clearly stated, still holding onto her hand.  
  
The words seem to echo in Urd's mind as she was still recording the last events. "Is that why you were fighting?" she asked, in a mix of hope and horror. Horror because she was the cause of a fight, but still hopeful because it meant that Mara.....  
  
Peorth was about to answer but was cut off by the demon. "No." The two goddesses turned to Mara. "I learned what happened Urd." She said quietly, her eyes holding the platinum haired goddess' stare. "And I told her that what she did was wrong. That she shouldn't have tried to take advantage of you." She paused.  
  
"And she attacked you?" Urd asked, not believing what she was hearing. She turned to Peorth. "You actually attacked her?" The other goddess seemed to have taken great interrest in her feet. "Peorth what did you had in mind?"  
  
'You.' Peorth thought about answering, but kept her tongue.  
  
"She was already pretty upset, it was a little too much for her to be corrected by a demon." Mara responded in her place. The brown haired goddess's head shot up. Was the demon she had been trying to beat up actually defending her?  
  
"Mara..." Urd began softly but was cut off.  
  
"I understand her, Urd. I really do." She smiled a sad smile. "If she tried to correct me on how to be 'evil' I would've tried to beat the living shit out of her too, you know." She scratched the back of her head and tried to fake a laugh.  
  
Urd observed skepticaly her best friend for sometime before turning to Peorth. The goddess stared at Mara as if searching for some clue... any clue about why she was saying what she was saying. Mara stared back, unreadable.  
  
Sudddenly, Peorth understood. 'Mara doesn't want Urd to know' She gave another excuse for the fight, even if it meant defending the goddess. Even if her first purose wasn't to protect her, Peorth was glad Mara had spoken up at that moment.  
  
Urd could see that something was going on between them, some kind of silent deal but couldn't really put her finger on what was happening. "So that's it? You're all gonna do as if there never was any fight?"  
  
"Adults are so weird." Skuld stated out of nowhere, after having observed the whole scene. "I'm going in my room." She added as she left.  
  
"I had totally forgot about her." Peorth finnaly broke the perplexed silence.  
  
"Me too." Urd and Mara replied simultenaously.  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence before Mara sighed. "I need... I need to talk to Belldandy... I'll leave tomorrow...." With that she headed to the shrine, leaving Urd and Peorth alone.  
  
Another uncomfortable silence ensued, this time broken by Peorth. "You don't feel the same, do you?" She stated it more than asked.  
  
Urd looked at the ground. "I'm sorry..."  
  
"Don't be...." Peorth aproached her and rested a hand on Urd's shoulder "You cannot choose who you want to love... And when you do fall in love, you can't stop the feeling just because you want to..." She said softly as her hand slipped to nuzzle the back of Urd's neck.  
  
"You don't know how right you are..." The white haired goddess whispered.  
  
"Unfortunatly, I do." She whispered back, carressing Urd's cheek with her other hand.  
  
"I'm sorry, Peorth, I'm so sorry..." She took her friend in her arms. "I...I love someone else."  
  
Peorth didn't answered right away, she returned the embrace, resting her head on Urd's shoulder. "I know." She mouthed inaudibly.  
  
"No hard feelings, ok...?" Urd rubbed the other goddess' back, hugging her tighter.  
  
"No hard feelings..." She released her. "Urd... I have only one request..." She dove her eyes in her friend's.  
  
****  
  
[Mara's PoV]  
  
I couldn't believe I left them alone without waiting for Urd's reply... To know what she answered.... I would've sold my soul to the devil.... so to speak.  
  
I looked by the window, I could see them talking. Damit.  
  
Urd hugged her. Argh, why couldn't I say I loved her? Why did I have to hide it, goddamit?!?! I could've told her, right now... I'm such a coward...  
  
They pulled back. I couldn't hear what they said but... my heart broke at _that_ moment. I decided I was better watching tv, fighting hard to restrain the tears that threatened to fall.  
  
****  
  
[Narrator's PoV]  
  
"Urd... I have only one request." She said sadly.  
  
Urd smiled. "Ask."  
  
"Kiss me." Peorth blurted, suddenly interested in her feet.  
  
"What?" She frowned.  
  
"Because I want to know how it feels to be kissed by you." She blushed. "I want to know.. before... I know this is the last chance I'll ever get and.... and it wouldn't mean a thing... I would just like to know... even if it's once and even if it means nothing to you." She looked back up at Urd's eyes. "I love you so much, Urd..." Tears were building up in her eyes. "I love you so much..."  
  
She smiled sadly, blushing a bit as she took Peorth's head in her hands. "Friends?" She whispered as their lips touched. They embraced each other as the kiss lasted and as they pulled back, Peorth smiled fondly. "Friends." She answered, letting go of Urd.  
  
Urd suddenly looked worried, afraid she might have really hurt her friend by rejecting her. Peorth noted the other goddess' expression and smilled sadly. "I'll be fine." She said, reading Urd's mind.  
  
"You're sure?"  
  
She nodded. "I admit it's hard. Really hard. And I'll probably cry, it's inevitable. But I'll heal in time, Urd." She paused. "The world doesn't revolve around you. There's probably someone else, out there, waiting for me."  
  
"Go, girl." She cheered.  
  
"Plus, I saw you, Urd." Peorth added softly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I saw you look at her. I saw your eyes when you looked at her. You *want* her, Urd." Peorth glanced knowingly at her friend. "I just wished that that fire that burns in your eyes everytime you look at her would've burned when you looked at me too."  
  
"..." At first Urd didn't knew what to say, she sighed. "You saw through me." She finaly said, smiling at the other goddess. "Am I that obvious?"  
  
"You are." She smiled back. "It's just that Belldandy and Keiichi, as sweet as they are, they're clueless and naive. And Skuld... well... she's Skuld, heh?" Urd giggled. "Seriously, though, you should tell her. After what we've been through... you owe me that." She kept smiling.  
  
"I owe you nothing. I kissed you." Urd noted, grining.  
  
"It didn't count." Peorth stuck out her tongue.  
  
They both laughed as they headed back to the shrine.  
  
****  
  
to be continued.... 


	14. chapter14

Lalalalallalalalalalalalalallalala.... and uh.. I'm glad you're taking the time to read it (  
  
The bug ch. 14  
  
****  
  
[Narrator's PoV]  
  
Urd and Peorth both entered the living room to find Mara glued to the t.v. "Congrats..." She mumbeled, still not taking her eyes off the screen.  
  
Urd frowned. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Peorth, tough, understood imediately. Mara had seen them. 'It was Urd who kissed me, she probably thinks that...' "Shit.." She mumbeled. Taking a deep breath, she wanted to explain what happened, but didn't came up with anything better than.... "It's not what you think, I asked her."  
  
Now Urd understood too. "Mara?" She gulped. "You know what happened?"  
  
The demon sprang up and glared at the both of them. "How could I not? From where you were standing, anyone could've seen you."  
  
"You saw us, but have you *heard* the converstation?" Urd insisted.  
  
"Of course not, but it was damn obvious, you were kissing goddamit! You think I'm stupid?" Mara let herself fall back on the floor, she switched the channel. Her back was facing them. "Now get yourself a room and leave me alone." She grumbeled.  
  
"Mara..." Urd began once again, taking a step foward and extending her hand, to rest it on her friend's shoulder.  
  
The demon violently brushed it as she twisted back and glared icily at Urd. "Just go, ok? I don't care what you do, it's your life after all." She almost growled it. Then she returned to her program, leaving the two goddesses under the shock.  
  
Peorth de-froze first and, taking Urd's hand, she lead her out. "You'll have to do something and quick." She made it sound like a war plan. "If you don't you'll regret it."  
  
Urd wasn't listening to her though. "She hates me... I can't believe it..." She whispered, staring into the distance.  
  
"She's mad at you, but it's because of me!" Peorth tried to reason the other goddess. It didn't seemed to work though, as her friend kept staring into space. "Brace yourself!" She suddenly shouted.  
  
Urd finaly came back to earth. "What should I do?" She pleaded softly for an answer. "Please, help me... I can't live without her anymore, Peorth."  
  
The goddess sighed. "You'll have to tell her, Urd... that you're in love with her." They began walking toward Urd's room. "Look, just think about what you'll tell her and meanwhile, I'll convince her to talk with you, ok? "  
  
Urd stared at her incredulously. "How will you do that? .. and why would you do that?"  
  
"Because I want you to be happy. And if she makes you happy... then so be it." Peorth answered calmly. "I don't know how yet, but I'll do anything I can to make her talk with you."  
  
"Thank you..." Urd smiled as she headed to her room.  
  
Peorth watch her go and walked back to the living room.  
  
****  
  
Megumi looked around, waiting patiently for her brother and Belldandy.  
  
"They're late." She said, glancing at her watch before looking around some more. Finally, she spotted Keiichi's bike. He braked next to her and he and Belldandy retiered their helmets. "Hey" She greeted them, smiling.  
  
"Hi" Keiichi answered and Belldandy smiled warmly.  
  
Megumi pointed the cafe she was parked in front of. "Let's go sit for a coffe." She eyed Belldandy "...or tea." She smiled, knowing how fond of tea the woman was.  
  
****  
  
They sat at the round table and ordered their drinks. Megumi rested her head in her hands. "So? Who are you?"  
  
Belldandy glanced at Keiichi who sighed and recluantly approved. "Tell her."  
  
She smiled warmly. "I'm a goddess."  
  
Megumi, who had been drinking her tea, paused, raised her eyebrows, swallowed her drink and calmly deposed the cup back on the table. "Excuse me, you're... what?"  
  
"I'm a goddess." She repeated with the same smile playing across her features.  
  
Megumi frowned and closed her eyes. Keiichi waited nervously for his sister's reation. Megumi tought the events all over again and ended up with only one answer. "Alright then." She smiled.  
  
Keiichi's jaw dropped. "You believe us??? You believe something as crazy as her being a goddess?!"  
  
Megumi stared at Belldandy. "Well yea, she wouldn't lie, right Bell?"  
  
The goddess shook her head. "Being a first class goddess, I can't lie." She then resumed sipping her tea.  
  
"See?" Megumi crossed her arms.  
  
"I know, I know." He buried his head in his hands. Staying silent a moment, he paused a moment. He looked back up at his sister. "I just didn't thought you'd believe us."  
  
"From what I've seen yet, anything could have been possible." Megumi said matter of factly.  
  
"I know, but still.." He sighed.  
  
Megumi turned to Belldandy. "So, why don't you tell me how you *really* met?"  
  
The goddess deposed her cup of tea. "Sure." She smiled.  
  
****  
  
Peorth noted it was starting to get dark outside as she quietly entered the living room. The tv was still on, but Mara had fallen asleep watching it, her back was facing Peorth. She observed the demon's sleeping form. 'She didn't healed her wounds.' The goddess noted.  
  
"Wakey wakey." Peorth bent down next to Mara.  
  
The demon didn't stirred. Peorth frowned, and turned her on her back to take a look at her face. She gasped when she saw Mara was crying in her sleep; tears were slowly running down her bruised cheeks. Peorth was begining to be ashamed of herself. 'How could I do that?' She asked herself. 'I'm supposed to be on the good side...' She brushed her hand against one particulary nasty-looking bruise, erasing it in the process.  
  
She sat next to Mara and placed the demon's head in her lap. "Please pardon me." She whispered as she stroked the blond hair. With each stroke, the wounds the demon beared dissapeared a little more until they were totally inexistant. Peorth sighed, relieved.  
  
'Now, that the physical pain's gone, let's try and heal the mental pain.' She joined her forehead sign with Mara's. 'Let's see what's in your mind.' Was the last thing the goddess thought before entering the demon's dreams.  
  
****  
  
Mara's mind was chaotic. Old souvenirs and memories were scattered here and there; some of them were more clear than others, but finally, Peorth made it to the dream. 'Ok, now lets see....' With that, she entered the strange bubble.  
  
*****  
  
To be continued.... 


	15. chapter15

OH YEA! Finally the flashback/dream chapter!! XD Hum.. I didn't really liked chapter14, so I hope this one'll be better...  
  
The Bug. Chapter 15.  
  
[Narrator's PoV]  
  
Peorth landed on a blood red cushion. 'Where the hell...?' She thought as she looked around. Judging by the brick walls and the medieval decoration, she seemed to be in a particulary large room of a castle... a bed room to be more precise.  
  
She heard laughs coming from the door. "Slow down, honey." A woman said laughingly.  
  
"Faster, faster!!" A child yelled. The door swung opened and Peorth reflexively hid behind the bed. 'Oh yeah, they can't see me.' She got up, walked to a chair, and sat down to observe the scene.  
  
A little girl about four years old ran around the room and began jumping on the bed. "Where, where?!?!" She laughed looking around the room. 'Urd?' Peorth recognized the small girl. 'I've never seen her that young... that was even before she began her visits to the heavens to see her sisters.... Skuld wasn't even born at that time...'  
  
"Stop jumping around and be still." The woman laughed, entering the scene. 'Hild?!!?' The queen of Hell looked around perplexed. "She's supposed to be here.... where is she?" She started looking around the room.  
  
"YAY!! Hide and seek!!" Urd started looking around the room too. Finally, she flung the curtains open. "I found you!!!" She squealed.  
  
A blond girl had been hidding behind them. Peorth looked at the small girl. 'That's Mara...' Then she noted the child had a black, leather neckband with a small silver and gold lock hanging from it. Her eyes widened. 'She's wearing a binding collar?!?'  
  
Mara was obviously scared since her whole body was trembeling. Urd observed the little girl closely. "Wow!! Your eyes are RED!!!" The demon nodded. "What's your name?" Urd asked.  
  
"I'm..." Mara glanced at Hild who glared at her but motionned to go on. "I'm Mara, your highness."  
  
"I'm Urd!" She took Mara's hand. "Let's go and play!!!"  
  
Mara recluantly nodded. But before they exited, Urd ran to her mother. "Thanks mom, you're the best!!!" She hugged her then ran out.  
  
The memory stoped playing and switched to another.  
  
Thunder rolled in the background and heavy rain was falling on the two kid as they ran for cover. They made it to a huge tree and sat down under it. Urd, who looked about eight, curled in a ball.  
  
"You shouldn't be afraid of thunder, it can't hurt you, you know...." Mara sighed.  
  
"But it's scary!" She burried her head in her hands, trembeling.  
  
Peorth snickered. 'So Urd was afraid of thunder?' She took a mental note to tease her about it.  
  
"Is it?" Mara asked septicaly. Urd nodded and hesitantly rested her head on her friend's shoulder. She started to play with the small lock hanging from Mara's neck.  
  
"What if I die, now?" She asked.  
  
The demon straightened. "You won't die. And if you *were* in danger, then I'm here and I'd protect you with my life." She stated firmly.  
  
Urd sighed. "I know that. But would you still protect me if you weren't forced?"  
  
"Even if I wasn't what I am, I'd choose to protect you."  
  
She looked up at Mara. "Really?"  
  
She nodded. "If you die..... Then I'd die. "  
  
Urd smiled. "And if you die, I die."  
  
Mara shook her head. "You can't die with me. You have to succeed to your mother."  
  
Urd frowned. "I don't care about mom. I like you better."  
  
It was Mara's turn to frown. "You shouldn't."  
  
Urd glared at her, but then her eyes softened quickly. She took Mara's hand. "I know that I'd die without you. I would be too sad to keep on." She spoke softly.  
  
Mara squeezed her hand a little. "Then let's not die. Neither of us." She smiled.  
  
"But what if...." Urd began but was cut off by Mara.  
  
"*IF* that happens... then, we'll go together." She said quietly. Urd simply nodded and rested her head back on Mara's shoulder.  
  
Peorth sighed but smiled. 'How sickeningly cute...'  
  
There was another lapsus as the scene changed once again. They seemed to be about sixteen, now.  
  
Urd was lying in the grass, near the same tree they had climbed in the last souvenir, she was on her stomach and her head rested in her right hand. Her straight hair was shoulder lenght and with her left hand, she was playing with a short strand. She was reading a book.  
  
Peorth sat under the tree, observing the soon to be goddess. 'She made her choice when she was about that old.... She looks gorgeous, even that young...' She then looked around to try and find the demon. She was nowhere to be seen. 'Strange..'  
  
Mara dropped herself from the twing she had been sitting on and landed silently on the ground. Peorth nearly had a heart attack when the demon passed through her, but quickly took a hold of herself. 'What the??' She looked up, from where Mara came. 'She was up there? There's no way... with a fall like that, she should've broke both of her legs. And she can't fly or anything, doesn't have powers yet...' Peorth observed Mara, fear begining to build in her. 'What is she?'  
  
Unknown to Urd, Mara aproached and heavily let herself fall on the girl's back, knocking the air out of her.  
  
"Get off me!" Urd cried playfully.  
  
"No way." Mara smirked as she sat on Urd's back and started ruffling her friend's hair.  
  
"No way, huh?" Urd repeated closing her book. She unsuccesfuly tried to wrestle Mara off her and ended up with her friend sitting on her stomach instead of her back. "Get off me, you moron!" She laughed.  
  
"Nope." Mara stuck out her tongue. "I like having you between my thighs." She grinned.  
  
Urd blushed. "Don't say things like that."  
  
"Why? It's true, you know." Mara grinned even more. "Urd, my love! Give in to your lust and take me!" She spread her arms dramatically wide, embraced herself and moaned deeply.  
  
Urd sighed but her cheeks burned more and more. "Oh, please..." She tried to get up but Mara pushed her back on the ground and kept her hands on Urd's shoulders. "Let me go, stupid!" She tried to glare at her. But she felt herself melt as her friend caressed her cheek.  
  
Mara bent over. "I know you love it when I'm on top." She pressed her body against Urd's, she was now lying on top of her. Urd reddened even more. "Red suits you." Mara's grin widened as their noses touched.  
  
Urd gulped. "S...stop it." She whispered, witout conviction in her voice.  
  
"You don't seem real sure you want me to stop..." Mara whispered back, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.  
  
Urd didn't answered.  
  
Peorth observed the scene. 'Mara's obviously playing around. But Urd.... Urd's in love with her.' The goddess bit her lip. 'She couldn't have loved Mara for that long, could she?....' Peorth scrarched her head, replaying in her head all the events staring from the day Mara came and cathed the bug. 'Okay, she did loved her for that long. It just took a hell of a long time for her to admit it to herself.'  
  
Urd closed her eyes, sighed and pinched Mara's butt.  
  
Mara shot up, taken aback, and Urd took the oportunity to push her off.  
  
"Damit, that was unfair!!" She giggled, rubbing the sore spot.  
  
"Unfair?" Urd snorted. "I had to do it, who knows what you could've done..." She blushed.  
  
Mara raised her eyebrows. "You say that as if you didn't liked it."  
  
"I didn't!!" Urd cried.  
  
"Liar!" Mara kept giggling. "Look, your nipples are hard." She pointed at the girl's chest.  
  
Urd folded her arms over her breasts. "Pfft, nonsense."  
  
Mara laughed harder. When she calmed herself, she looked back at her friend, whipping away the tears. "You can't deny it, you know. You're damn horny, I can *smell* it."  
  
Urd immediately realised what Mara meant. "Argh! Damn you and your stupid dog senses!" She got up, red beyond what she could've tought possible.  
  
The demon kept grinning as she threw herself at her friend again, making her fall back to the ground. "Leaving, already?" She pinned Urd's hands right above her head, using only one hand. "Hehe. I'm stronger."  
  
Urd struggled to get free, but to no avail. Mara held her there without effort. "Well, that's because you're fat." She stuck out her tongue.  
  
Peorth sweat dropped. 'I don't think that's the reason... With that strenght she's can't be a demon, there's just no way. She's got to be something else... That would explain the collar.'  
  
"Hey, I'm not!!" Mara released her, chuckling.  
  
"Of course you're not!!" Urd finaly laughed, she sat up.  
  
They stayed silent for a bit, looking up at the sky. But Urd's eyes quickly found their way to Mara's neck. "The collar dosen't bother you, sometimes?" She wondered aloud.  
  
"It's binding me to you, how could it bother me?" She answered absently, still observing the blue sky.  
  
Urd shook her head. "Stop it, already... I meant, seriously.... "  
  
Mara turned and looked staight into the other girl's eyes. "I am serious."  
  
Urd held her stare, searching for any sings that she was joking, but ended up concluding that for once, Mara was being serious. Urd smiled softly. "Don't you feel like.... a pet or something?"  
  
Mara shrugged. "Yea, sometimes... but you know what I am, heh?"  
  
Urd nodded and observed the demon's features. Her eyes lingered on the small fangs that that could be seen at the corner of her mouth. It was one of the only thing that differencied her from the demons. She looked back up at Mara's blood red eyes. "But it's not fair... you should be free too."  
  
Mara shook her head again. "I don't want to be free as long as I'm with you."  
  
Urd blushed. "You sound like you're my girlfriend."  
  
Mara laughed. "Like you don't like me back?" She teased.  
  
"Of course I do. You're my best friend." She answered, lying down to rest her head in Mara's lap.  
  
They stayed silent for sometime before something came back to Mara. "What was it you were reading?"  
  
Urd sighed. "I was looking up to find a job I'd like to do. We need to start our training soon..."  
  
Mara chuckled. "YOU have to start YOUR training soon." She corrected her. "I can't get a job."  
  
Urd nodded. "I always forget about that." She closed her eyes. ".... Do you remember the promise we made, years ago?"  
  
"Of course." The girl answered softly. "What about it?"  
  
Urd shook her head. "No.... nothing...."  
  
The demon frowned, but soon her grin returned and she pushed Urd off her.  
  
"Hey!!" Urd scowled at her as Mara got up.  
  
She walked to the book and picked it up. "Now let's look for a job a lazy ass like you could do."  
  
Peorth's eyes saddened. 'Mara didn't knew Urd's gonna choose to be a goddess.'  
  
The scene then jumped to another one.  
  
The road to the heavens was open and the two of them were standing in front of it. Peorth gulped, aware of what was about to happen and fearing the sight of a heartbreaking scene. Still, she walked up to them to hear what seemed like the end of their conversation.  
  
"Why?" Mara asked, crying.  
  
"Because... because... " Urd looked at the ground, not sure how to answer. She raised her hand and a key materialized in it.  
  
Peorth gasped, knowing full well what it was. 'She didn't....' She brought a hand to her mouth as tears began building in her eyes. 'How could she do that to her best friend?'  
  
Urd walked to her friend and unlocked the collar, letting it fall on the ground. "I'll be going, now." She walked to the path of light and didn't turned back when she whispered "Goodbye."  
  
****  
  
to be continued... 


	16. chapter16

Please....PLEASE don't ask where I got the idea of mara being what she is. (see in the chapter). It came up when I was talking with my friend and i was wondering why Mara was the only demon with fangs (the only other evil being with that is Tsukai, Bell's demon (see the Rind arc)). I know it's pretty out of nowhere and all so please don't complain. I can do what i want in a fic, ne?  
  
The bug ch.16  
  
[Narrator's PoV]  
  
Mara bolted awake. "What? Where?" Looking around, she saw Peorth was... crying? "What the fuck?" She asked.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I didn't knew..." Peorth whispered and Mara understood what happened.  
  
"Why the HELL did you looked inside my head?!!" She screamed at the goddess.  
  
Peorth buried her head in her hands. She took her time, but answered. "You were crying and... I wanted to know why..." She looked back up at Mara. "How could she do that to you? Doesn't she know how cruel it is to unlock a binding collar? I mean... she litteraly turned her back on you."  
  
Subconsiously, the demon brought a hand to her neck, feeling the absent collar. "I think she knows very well what she did." She swalowed hard and gritted her teeth. "As if why she did it, if I knew.... maybe I'd be able to stop having that same dream."  
  
They stayed silent for some time until Peorth found the nerve to ask what had been bothering her. "Why did you needed that... thing in the first place?" She observed Mara. "Who.... are you?"  
  
The demon snorted. "Why should I tell *you*?"  
  
The goddess sighed. "Because I care about Urd and you mean alot to her."  
  
"If you care about her that much, why aren't you with her?" Mara eyed Peorth.  
  
"Look, Mara, it was a misunderstanding." She began.  
  
"Oh yea, she accidently kissed you." She mumbeled sarcastically as she got up.  
  
"NO! I *asked* her!" Peorth grabbed her arm. "You're staying here. We need to talk."  
  
Mara glared at her but sat back down anyway. "Fine."  
  
Peorth released the other woman's arm. "Like I said, I asked her to do it."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because she rejected me.... She said she didn't loved me back." She glanced at Mara who seemed surprised. "So I told her I wanted to know how it felt to be kissed by her. And asked her to do it." Her eyes sadened and her cheeks flushed.  
  
"Oh..." The demon seemed to have calmed down. She made a pause and took a deep breath. "I'll tell you too, then." She stated quietly.  
  
"What?" The goddess frowned. "Tell me what?"  
  
"You asked me who I am." Mara reminded her. "I am Mara. Now I'll tell you *what* I am."  
  
"What you are...." Peorth repeated.  
  
Mara nodded. "You have angels, we have devils." Peorth nodded. "Hild wanted one for Urd, so it could protect her precious daughter."  
  
"Why am I not surprised?" The goddess sighed.  
  
"The problem was.... you can't get a devil nor an angel if you're not mature enough physicaly and mentaly. Urd, being four at that time obviously wasn't ready to accept another spirit to be part of her like, later, when she received her angel." Mara explained.  
  
"Where are you heading to?" Peorth was begining to be confused.  
  
"Experiments had been going on down there." Mara pointed to the ground. "So they geneticaly made bodies to host the devils. Then came, the second problem: since the devils now had their own bodies to use as a weapon, they didn't really needed a master, like, for example, Gorgeous rose needs you to materialise. That's where the binding collar comes in handy. It forces the creature that's wearing it to stick with its owner and protect him or her."  
  
"Are you saying you're...." Peorth began but didn't wanted to finish.  
  
Mara got up. "Yes. I'm Urd's devil."  
  
While Peorth registered the information, the other woman continued. "When all these experiments came into the knowledge of the heavens.... all the researches were stopped. They said it was unfair to have such beings on Hell's side because these creatures... were too powerful. And they didn't had a doublet. That fact made them free to kill, knowing that whatever happens, they won't die. So most of the prototypes were killed, only a few of us were able to survive." Mara stopped pacing around. "As a matter of fact, only those who had powerful figures of autority as masters were kept alive. Though it was not only because the masters wanted to keep them alive. Alot of them did want their devils dead..."  
  
"Because of what, then?" Peorth asked, captivated by the story she was being told.  
  
Mara smiled. "You saw it in the dream, didn't you?"  
  
"Saw what?" The goddess frowned.  
  
"The strenght I once had." She closed her eyes. "How could they destroy me? I am as clever as them and was twenty times as strong. They didn't had the means to terminate me, as they couldn't kill a few others either."  
  
Peorth scratched her head. "But when you fought me, you weren't--"  
  
"I said the strenght I *once* had." Mara cut her off, but still didn't opened her eyes.  
  
"Then she freed me on that day.... " She shivered unconciously and bit her lower lip. "Hild took me under her wing. When the scientists searched a way to terminate me, being a 'dangerous and unpredictable creature', as stated in my file, she protected me. She even let me take the training to be a demon. Maybe she knew I had potential, as I reashed the 1st class level, but.... I think she did that because I was the only thing left of Urd...." She turned sad eyes to meet Peorth's. "She loves her daughter more than anything, you know."  
  
She sighed. "Now, I'm just glad I wasn't killed..... Don't get me wrong, I don't give a shit about my life. But now that I know about Urd and I being doublets... just imagining Hild's reaction if she learned her daughter's death... " She shivered. "I don't even want to think about it." They stayed silent for sometime before Mara talked again. "You know what? I think we never even did the ritual to become doublets, since I'm not supposed to have one..."  
  
"Hey, you're right! Then now come...?" Peorth stopped to think of the possibilities.  
  
"Damn!! Everything's so fucked up..." Mara groaned and burried her head in her hands as a conclusion.  
  
Peorth frowned worriedly, coming to another conclusion. "Maybe Urd knows?"  
  
"Maybe..." The demon answered thoughtfuly. "Even if she knew, I don't think she'd tell me." She added.  
  
"Why do you think that?" She countered. "You have the right to know."  
  
"Legally, I have no rights..." Mara turned to the tv, she could see her reflection in it. She brought a had to her mouth and felt one of her sharp fangs. "I'm not like them, my life is worth something only because of Urd. If she hadn't been there, I would be dead by now." She turned back to Peorth and observed her reaction.  
  
The goddess' expression was one of extreme sadness. "Even if you're diffrent, I don't understand why you're thought less of...." She thought it over again and decided it would be better to change the subject. "Did you ever asked her why she freed you?"  
  
"I didn't. It's evident." Mara answered quietly. "She freed me 'cause being a goddess, she she didn't needed a devil anymore... She'd receive an angel."  
  
Peorth stayed silent, knowing that whatever answer she gave, it wouldn't be good.  
  
"I don't know why she chose her goddess side, though... I thought she was happy." She stated sadly.  
  
Peorth's thoughts unconsciously were brought back of the scene she saw in Mara's dream where they were sixteen and she blushed. "You have to talk with her. You have so much to sort out..."  
  
"So much, huh? What did she tell you?" The demon asked curiously.  
  
"..er...." Peorth smiled.  
  
"What happened outside?" Keiichi interrupted as he came in followed by Belldandy and Megumi. "There's a huge hole in the side of the shrine and most of the plants are burnt!"  
  
Mara and Peorth looked at each other and smiled sheepishly.  
  
"Oh no.... what did you do?" He brought a hand to his face.  
  
"They had a fight." Skuld said as she entered too.  
  
"A fight?" Belldandy asked.  
  
"A fight...." Keiichi sighed.  
  
"A fight!" Megumi's eyes widened, thinking back of the scene of chaos and destruction outside.  
  
"Oh, but we're ok, now!" Peorth put an arm around Mara's shoulders.  
  
Mara growled and the goddess released her immediately. Keiichi sighed again.  
  
"We brought pizza for supper." Belldandy pointed at the boxes he was carring, changing the subject completely.  
  
"And ice cream for dessert." Megumi grinned as she held up a grocery bag.  
  
Skuld's features brightened. "OH YEAH!!!"  
  
Belldandy held up her bag too. "We also rented a movie."  
  
Keiichi smiled. "Could someone get Urd?" He said as he deposed the boxes on the table  
  
Peorth immediately got up. "I'll go."  
  
****  
  
They were now all seated and eating silently. The atmosphere was awckward and tense between Urd, Mara and Peorth, Belldany could feel it. "We rented 'Casper'." She smiled in an atempt to start a conversation.  
  
"What's that?" Peorth asked.  
  
"Keiichi said it was about a ghost that was good." Belldandy turned to her beloved.  
  
"Isn't that a little childish?" Skuld added.  
  
Everyone observed him. "Well... I liked it." He said.  
  
"It's cute." Megumi agreed and everyone resumed eating.  
  
Mara finished first and got up. "Urd, we need to talk."  
  
Urd looked hopefuly at Peorth who nodded. "Ok." She got up too and they both exited.  
  
As soon as they were out, Peorth smiled a huge smile and turned to Keiichi. "So, why don't you tell me about that movie?"  
  
****  
  
Mara calmly sat on Urd's bed and the goddess was pacing around in front of her. "Please stop that." The demon asked. Urd took a deep breath and stopped, turning to her friend. Mara got up. "I want to ask just one thing."  
  
Urd nodded.  
  
Mara clenshed her trembeling hands into fists and dove her eyes in Urd's. "Why did you leave me alone?"  
  
****  
  
To be continued...  
  
[So I let go, watching you, turn your back like you always do  
  
Face away and pretend that I'm not  
  
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I've got]  
  
~Faint~ (Linkin Park)  
  
[these wounds won't seem to heal  
  
this pain is just too real  
  
there's just too much that time cannot erase  
  
when you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
  
when you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
  
and I held your hand through all of these years  
  
but you still have me  
  
all of me]  
  
~My Immortal~ (Evanescence) 


	17. chapter17

I forgot to update ^^;; I've written alot but they're not really ready, so i'm sending this one. (finaly, yeah....)  
  
The bug ch.17  
  
[Narrator's PoV]  
  
Urd was taken aback by the question and she didn't knew how to answer. For years she had tried to hide the true reason and had hoped that she would never have to explain, but now... now she couldn't run anymore. She had to tell Mara what happened. "Do you remember the pact we made when we were still children?"  
  
"What does it have to do with your choice?" The demon asked.  
  
The goddess took a deep breath. "That pact, even if it wasn't complete with the ritual and all, it made us doublets."  
  
Mara paled. "What? How do you know...? How can you be sure?"  
  
Urd looked at her feets. "A few years after that night, Mother learned about it. She said that because we were being completely honest when we made that pact, it was heard and accepted by the systems." She bit her lips before continuing. "That's when she started to really hate you."  
  
"What's the link?" Mara didn't understood.  
  
Urd glared at the ground. "Because then, if she couldn't get me to break the pact by hating you and since doublets are forced to be a demon and a goddess....." She glanced at Mara. "Even if you were a devil, you had a body... therefore, you had demon blood. So the system considered you a demon and because of my blood... I was officially a goddess." Urd started playing with her hair. "Mother didn't succeeded in making me hate you. The pact had to be respected..."  
  
Everything made sense, now. Mara realised that the only reason Hild ordered to keep her alive even before deciding to allow her to be a demon, was because she knew that killing her meant killing Urd too. Then, something else dawned on her... "You mean you were forced into this role... because of me?" The blond haired woman felt her body tremble with rage. "You couldn't choose because of _me_?"  
  
"That's why I didn't wanted to tell you..." Urd whispered. "I knew you'd feel responsible."  
  
"But it was *my* fault!!" Mara insisted. "You should've listened to the Queen and broke the pact!!"  
  
"By hating you?" Urd frowned sadly as she observed her friend. "I would've never been able to do that..."  
  
"Why? I mean it's not hard, look at me!" She cried before resting her eyes on the floor. "I'm a monster..." She added quietly.  
  
The goddess grabbed Mara's arm firmly, anger building in her. "Don't you dare say that."  
  
"But it true..." The demon still wouldn't look at the woman in front of her.  
  
"I don't care." Urd's voice was strong but softened quickly. "Anyway, these are not things you can control... hate... love..." She whispered her last word. "Look at me, Mara."  
  
Recluantly, the demon looked up at her friend  
  
"I couldn't bring myself to hate you, because... I didn't realised it back then but I....." She kept her eyes locked with the red ones before her as the world seemed to hold its breath. "I loved you." She confessed. ".... And I still do."  
  
"W....what?" Mara wasn't sure she had heard right.  
  
"I love you." The goddess repeated, cautiously releasing the grip she had kept until now on the demon's arm. She stayed still, waiting for Mara's answer.  
  
When she had finaly registerd the information, Mara slowly stepped toward Urd and gently embraced her. She rested her head on her shoulder and tightened the hug. "You don't know how I longed to hear that." She whispered softly. "....I love you." She added quietly when she felt Urd return the hug. They stayed frozen in this moment, afraid to move to wake up and find it was only another dream.  
  
Mara de-froze first and suddenly pulled back, leaning in a soft kiss. Urd's eyes went wide and her body stiffened, not really prepared for that. But she quickly relaxed and responded to the kiss, slowly moving her arms around Mara's neck, running her fingers on the soft white skin.  
  
They pulled away and smiled at each other, both of them blushing. Urd took hold of Mara's hand and led her to the bed, her shy smile switching to a devious grin. "Guess what I'm thinking." She let herself fall on the bed, bringing the other woman down with her. The goddess was now lying on top of the demon, kissing her fiercely. Her hands snakely made their way under Mara's shirt and she began massaging her breasts.  
  
"Hentai." She whispered chuckling, letting Urd grope her all she wanted.  
  
"And proud of it." She laughed too as her mouth began working down Mara's neck.  
  
Footsteps could be heard coming up the hall but both were too much occupied to pay attention.  
  
Skuld slamed the door open the way she usually does. "Urd do you wanna watch--ohkamisamawhat'shappeninghere?"  
  
Urd sprang up, as did Mara once the goddess was off her. "It's not what it looks like?" she tried.  
  
"Yeah right..." Skuld sighed blushing. "What's so attractive about you anyway?"  
  
Mara raised her hand, ready to make the list. "Well, first--"  
  
"Please don't." The young goddess sighed again, cutting her off. "Anyway, we were wondering if you wanted to watch the movie with us."  
  
"We'll pass." Urd smiled.  
  
"Let me guess why." Skuld rolled her eyes. "I'll go, then." She exited  
  
"Hey, nibblet, wait!" Mara stopped her. "Usually you're not that understanding when it comes to those kind of situation. What's happening?"  
  
Skuld turned around and wrinkeled her nose. "Well, I don't care about Urd and what she does."  
  
It was Urd's turn to roll her eyes. "Seriously."  
  
Skuld unsuccessfully tried to glare. "Alright then." The girl scratched her head. "First, with the last events, I'm begining to get used by now. I mean with Peorth and all, I'm not surprised anymore." She shruggered. "The other thing, you two, it's not like Keiichi and Belldandy.... as far as I know, Mara, you can't get her pregneant. So I won't mind."  
  
The demon nearly chocked. "Geez, kid...."  
  
Urd chuckled. "But it's true." She eyed Skuld, still smiling. "You've matured alot, recently."  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Skuld closed the door and headed back to the living room.  
  
****  
  
"So, are they coming or not?" Keiichi asked.  
  
Skuld sat on the couch. "They weren't finished... talking."  
  
"What were they talking about?" Belldandy entered, a bowl of popcorn in hand.  
  
"Err... I don't know... old stuff... probably." She brushed it off.  
  
Peorth chuckled as she was floating around the room (to make a change). She bumped into Megumi, who had been instaling the vcr in order to watch the movie. Megumi stoped and stared at Peorth. Peorth looked back at Megumi.  
  
"It's not polite to stare." The goddess said, resuming her useless floating.  
  
Megumi shook her head. "I think I'll never get used to that." She sighed to herself, putting the video in the vcr.  
  
"To what?" Keiichi frowned, having heard his sister..  
  
"Flying woman." Megumi pointed to Peorth before slumping down next to Skuld.  
  
"Surprisingly, it doesn't take much time." He smiled. "In a few days, you'll find that completely normal." He grinned and switched the tv on.  
  
****  
  
To be continued... 


	18. chapter18

This chapter contains Yuri (hentai) so if you have a problem with 2 girls making love, get lost.  
  
Oh, and btw, i'm putting more chapters at once this time 'cause well... i'm making up for my lack of updates (  
  
Yea, and this will be R starting the next update....  
  
The bug ch.18  
  
[Narrator's PoV]  
  
Urd casted a locking spell on the door and a soundproof one on the room. "That way we won't be disturbed." She grinned, making her way to the bed and flopping down next to Mara.  
  
The demon immediately roled over the platinium haired beauty, diving her eyes in the green ones beneath her, she chuckled. "Do you remeber the last time we were like this?"  
  
"How could I forget?" Urd smiled back. "And I actually made you get off, like the idiot I was."  
  
"Hey, tell me the truth...." Mara grinned. "That time, did you really wanted me to get off, or did you wanted me to continue?"  
  
"You were driving me mad.... and I didn't knew how to react... " Urd sighed. "I didn't wanted to admit that I loved you, that I wanted you... badly. So when you did *that*... well I freaked out... I'd love to have another chance though." She smiled.  
  
"Let's start over, then." The blond giggled and sat on Urd's stomach. "I like having you between my thighs." She repeated the sentence she said so many years ago.  
  
Urd smiled. "And what am I supposed to say now? I don't want to push you away again."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure you can think of something."  
  
Urd smirked, grabed the demon by the collar of her shirt and brought her down, kissing her.  
  
"I knew you could do it." Mara smiled and lied on top of the goddess, once again pressing their lips together. Leaning down to Urd's ear, Mara whispered.  
  
"We can re-write our history..."  
  
With that, she began to kiss down Urd's neck. Urd started to moan quietly, holding Mara's head against her. Mara continued to kiss her way down Urd's body, unbuttoning the shirt that was starting to get in the way. Urd moved her hands to Mara's back, under her shirt, and undid the bra. By that time, Mara had reached the pants but she decided to get back to Urd's mouth, kissing her passionately. Mara sat up, slipped her top off, the bra coming whith it, to reveal her rather large breasts. Her skin was gleaming in the moonlight. "You're beautiful." Urd said, openly staring and admiring her lover.  
  
"Am I?" Mara leaned down so her lips were nearly touching Urd's. Gazing into the green eyes she loved so much, Mara whispered again.  
  
"I want you."  
  
"And I need you" Urd answered, running her hands through the blond hair.  
  
They kissed one more time before Mara got off the goddess. Urd sat up, her back facing Mara, and took off her already unbuttoned shirt to reveal her black bra. Mara, unable to resist the urge, hugged Urd from the back, pressing her chest on the goddess' back . She kissed Urd's neck, just between the shoulders, making her shiver with pleasure. Mara rested her hands on Urd's waist and felt up to her breasts, still kissing the goddess' back. Urd gasped when Mara reached her breasts, she moaned: "I wish we could stay like this forever." The demon stroked and squeezed the goddess' breasts a little more before she got her hands off to undo the bra. Once Mara was done, Urd turned around so they were facing each other.  
  
Both of them smiled and Urd leaned to kiss softly Mara's lips. Mara moved down so she was lying on the bed, Urd on top of her. She liked the feel of Urd's soft skin against her own. The feel of strands of silver hair brushing against her naked body......... She was lost in these feelings, when she felt Urd's lips on her right breast followed by a tongue playing with her nipple. Moaning, she arched her back, pressing her body against Urd's.  
  
Encouraged with Mara's reaction, Urd slipped her hand in the devil's leather pants, making her moan louder. She stroked Mara's inner thigh while unzipping the fly. Urd could feel her love was getting really wet and knew she wanted more. She sat up and helped Mara take her pants and panties off. She gazed at Mara's entirely naked body with, for the first time she admited it, desire. She bent down and kissed Mara again before shoving her fingers into the devil's wet pussy. Mara clenched her eyes shut, wrapped her arm around Urd and pulled herself close, a gasp of pleasure escaping from her mouth.  
  
"I love you." Urd murmured, moving her fingers in and out slowly.  
  
"I love you too." Mara managed to answer between gasps and moans.  
  
Urd smiled, feeling the power she had over the demon.  
  
Mara noticed that smile and recognised it, it was almost the same one Urd had when she was the Lord of Terror, a grin of a goddess drunk with power. The only diffrence was that this time, she had love in her eyes instead of hate.  
  
The bond grabed Urd's hand, stopping the movement.  
  
"Wh-" Urd began, but Mara didn't answered as she sat up, pulled down the goddess' skirt and underwear and before Urd noticed, Mara was on top. She began by sucking on her lover's breasts and moving down until she reached Urd's vagina. Without hesitation, she kissed the goddess' nether lips. Urd spread her legs wider, allowing more space to her lover, and moaned deeply. Mara, liking the taste, decided to get a better taste and used her tongue. Urd ran her hands through the blond locks, moaning louder and louder as Mara repeated the action, slowly moving her tongue against Urd's clitoris. Giving one last lick, Mara moved lower and entered Urd, pushing her tongue in as far as she could. The reaction was immediate: Urd, moaning maybe too loudly, arched her back, grasped Mara's head and pushed it closer to her. Mara began to thrust her tongue in and out, causing Urd's body to stiffen a little bit more each time. And then, in a loud groan, she orgasmed. Urd was panting, sweating and totally spent: she felt good. But it wasn't over, yet.  
  
She rolled Mara to her back, and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips, her hands roaming down the devil's body. As Urd placed her hand back on her lover's pussy and pushed a finger in. Mara threw back her head, holding back moans, but couldn't help her gasp as Urd pushed in a second finger. The goddess drew the demon in an intense kiss while slowly moving her fingers. Mara embraced Urd strongly as her body started to tense. She began to kiss Urd's neck, moaning in the process. As Urd rammed her fingers in and out faster and faster, Mara unconciously began to bite gently the goddess' neck with her sharp fangs. But the faster were Urd's fingers, the deeper her fangs buried themselves.  
  
Urd felt them enter her flesh, not deeply at first, but it hurted a bit. However, she quickly realised she loved the sensation... it excited her more than anything, she felt like if she was... in danger. As if Mara was an unpredictable and dangerous animal. The faster she thrusted her fingers, the deeper the fangs entered, they even reached a point where Mara could feel hot blood flow in her mouth. That is, until she released Urd's neck to moan very loudly as she climaxed.  
  
Catching her breath, Mara looked over at the bite in Urd's neck. "Sorry about that." She reached out and wiped the last drops of blood as they were sliding on the tanned skin. "I... couldn't help myself."  
  
"It's ok." The goddess smiled hugging Mara closer to her. "I liked it." She smiled sheepishly.  
  
Mara looked at her in disbelief. "You masochist."  
  
"Well, what can I say, I'm like that." She shuggered  
  
"And I love you just the way you are." Mara caressed Urd's bare shoulder as the goddess snuggeled against her chest.  
  
"I love you too." Urd mumbeled sleepily.  
  
The two of them were out like a light immediately, Urd on top, her head resting on Mara's chest.  
  
**** to be continued.... 


	19. chapter19

Hope u liked the last one.. and uh... yea, i didn't review/correct that one so i hope it's ok...  
  
The bug, chapter 19  
  
A tall, gray haired woman quickly strolled down the corridor towards the biggest room of the castle. She enterend and knelt before her queen.  
  
"Majesty, we just received an call." She said, not daring to look up at the most feared woman of the universe.  
  
"I that so?" Hild asked lazily. "What would be so urgent you'd barge in the room without knocking?"  
  
The woman shivered. "Mara sent a distress call. Four days ago."  
  
"What??" Hild snapped. "And you tell me that now!!??" She growled, getting up and standing in front of the demon bowing before her.  
  
"We received it only a few minutes ago. It said that she requested an emergency return back here." The woman whimpered.  
  
"Why?" Hild asked, fear slightly audible in her voice. "Why would she request that?"  
  
"From the life status we received, she was poisoned with the Death's Bite. An eater of the Kuroguma." The short haired woman answered quietly.  
  
Hild stayed silent.  
  
"We couldn't find her, the poison prevents us to do so." She finaly looked up at her master.  
  
Hild was pale. Very pale. "And.... when will she die?" She tried to keep her calm.  
  
"With the critical infection she suffered, she... she's supposed to have died yesterday." She watched as horror gradualy took over her queen's usual mask of indiference.  
  
"It can't be." She decided, running a hand through her silver/white hair. "I would've known if Urd had died."  
  
"What do you mean?" The woman asked, not sure why Hild was talking about her daughter.  
  
"Issa." Hild looked over at the woman. "You never heard what I said." She glared a death glare at her. "Now go and get my crystal ball."  
  
"Yes, your majesty." Issa got up and quickly exited. She was back a few minutes later.  
  
Hild sat back on her throne and concentrated her energy on the ball. The morisato residence apeared in it. Hild mentaly scaned the place. "That's weird." She frowned worridly.  
  
"Is something wrong, my Queen?" Issa asked quietly.  
  
"Yes." Hild answered absently. "There's no one there."  
  
"No one?" The purple eyed girl repeated.  
  
"Not a single drop of energy. As if they had all vanished." She continued to stare at the transparent ball.  
  
"May I suggest a sheild, majesty?" Issa offered.  
  
"No, no shield could hide something from me." Hild though this over. "Unless...." Her eyes widened. "Call the heaven, ask if goddess first class, second category, unlimited liscence, Peorth is on earth."  
  
"Yes." Issa left her Queen to her thoughts once again only to come bak a few seconds later. "You are right, your highness. She's at the Morisato residence."  
  
"Damn them." Hild growled.  
  
"May I ask why was that information important, majesty?"  
  
The tall silver haired woman sighed. "Past, Present, Future and Eternity. Fire, Wind, Water and Earth. Uruz, Bern, Sauìl and Perthra**. Do you know what these are?"  
  
"Yes, my queen. The time, the elements and the runes. What about them?"  
  
"They are the three most powerful circles you can imagine. United together, like this, the strongest magical circle ever is formed. Those four goddesses together, at full power, they generate, willingly or not, a holy protection cirlcle that no demon can break through." She smiled bitterly. "Not even me."  
  
"But the Tenshikui could enter their field...."  
  
"It was inside Rind. A holy creature opened its path.... And Mara and I entered only when Urd, Peorth and Belldandy were ko."  
  
Issa desperately tried to find something to cheer up her misstress when it hit her. "Well, since the circle exists, at least you know your daughter is alright."  
  
Hild stared blankly at her servant. Realisation dawned upon her. She beamed, drawing the demon next to her in a fierce hug. "Thank you, Issa!!"  
  
"Majesty, I can't breath." She squeaked.  
  
Hild released her, smiling a real smile. Not the usual smirk that sent shivers down your spine, but the one of a caring mother. Issa was scared. "Are you alright?" She asked her queen carefuly.  
  
"I feel relieved." Hild sighed contently. "I think I'll pay them a visit."  
  
"Can you?" The younger demon question, alway hesitant with her misstress.  
  
"What do you mean can I?" Hild scoffed. "I can do what I want!"  
  
"That's not what I meant, your highness."Issa quickly stated. "Will you be able to break through their circle?"  
  
Hild stayed silent. She stared blankly at Issa once again. "Damn them!!!!" she gritted her theet.  
  
"Couldn't you counter them with the same circle, produced by demons?" The young demon asked.  
  
"I'd need Mara and Velsper." Hild growled. "Fine then. I'll wait." She returned to her crystal ball, observing attentively for anything that could be of use to hert.  
  
*****  
  
Peorth yawned as she woke up. 'Tiered...' She though, resting her head back where it was. 'Maybe I shouldn't have fought Mara. Now I'm soooo tiered....' She tried to drift back to sleep but noticed something. 'Smells like Keiichi..... Why is my head on his shoulder?' She was too tiered to complain. 'Oh well...' She moved her arms to hug him and rested a hand on his chest. Her eyes widened.  
  
"Watch your hands, Flying Wowan." Megumi warned.  
  
"Wha-???" Peorth's head shot up. "I-I-I'm sorry." She stamered very uncharacteristicly.  
  
"I didn't minded when you fell asleep on my shoulder but geez, don't push it." She whispered, trying not to disturb the trio who was now watching 'X- men', since Casper had finished long ago and they had nothing else to do but tv zapping.  
  
"I'm sorry." Peorth repeated, folding her arms and leaning back in the couch. "...I was comforable." She mumbeled to herself.  
  
Megumi glanced at Peorth. "What was that?"  
  
"Nothing important." The goddess grumbeled. "What time is it anyway?" she yawned again.  
  
Megumi looked at her watch. "Three pm." She sighed shaking her head. "Keiichi, maybe we should--" She stopped short as she saw that Keiichi and Belldandy were both asleep. She turned to Skuld. "Since when were they out?"  
  
"Two hours ago or something like that." She said, captivated by the huge attack Storm was directing towards Magneto. "It's crazy how that woman looks like Urd." She commented.  
  
"Indeed." Peorth added.  
  
"Not that I like to be the party pooper, but it's kinda late." Megumi stated. With that, she gently shook her brother's shoulder. "Hey K, you should go sleep in your bed."  
  
"Huh, what?" He and Belldandy slowly woke up.  
  
"It's three o'clock, K. I'm going home." She yawned.  
  
"No, you're not." Belldandy sleepily said. "It's too late, you should sleep over."  
  
"Well I don't wanna be a burden, you know..." She scratched the back of her head in a Keiichi-like fashion.  
  
"A burden? Are you kidding us?" He smiled. "I'd be glad if you stayed."  
  
Megumi considered it for an instant. "Alright then." She smiled her usual cat smile  
  
"Good." Keiichi stood up and began making his way to his room.  
  
"Where am I going to sleep?" She asked.  
  
"Huh...." Keiichi looked at his fiancé. "Yes, where?"  
  
"My room is filled with machines. No room for a futon." Skuld folded her arms.  
  
"What about your room, K?" Megumi asked. "You're my brother, after all."  
  
Keiichi nervously began scratching the back of his head, the same way Megumi did earlier. "Well huh.... you see... er...."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Bell and I sleep in the same room now." He sighed.  
  
"NO??!?!" Megumi beamed. "Really, really, really???" Keiichi hung his head. "Haha!!! I would've never guessed!!" She rested a hand on his shoulder. "Ok, bro, I understand your point." She grinned mishevously.  
  
"What point?" Skuld asked sucpiciously. Belldandy smiled sheepishly, blushing. Skuld was clueless and didn't liked it. "Tell me what's happening here." She narowed her eyes.  
  
"It's late Skuld. You should sleep." Peorth simply said.  
  
"Hey, Megumi and I were the only one who didn't fall asleep!" Skuld huffed, offended. "I'm not a kid anymore."  
  
"Yeah, Yeah, we know. Now good night, sweet dreams." Peorth waved her hand nonchalantly. Skuld stuck out her tongue at her and stormed off.  
  
"I'm tiered too. Good night." Keiichi grabed Belldandy's hand and headed to their room.  
  
"But what of Megumi?" Bell asked him as they walked down the hall.  
  
"Do you really want to be the one who asks Peorth to let someone sleep in her room?" He asked her.  
  
Belldandy giggled quietly.  
  
****  
  
"Well then, Flying Woman, that leaves you and me." Megumi turned to the goddess.  
  
"I have a name you know." Peorth snorted in a very unlady-like maner.  
  
"I know. But we haven't been properly introduced and I never really got your name" Megumi shuggered.  
  
"You should at least know the name of the person in who's room you're gonna sleep in." Peorth scoffed.  
  
"You should at least have the maners to *not* grope someone you just met." 'Megumi chuckled.  
  
Peorth glared at her but smiled anyway. "Haha. Very funny." She headed towards her room with Megumi on her heels. "I'm Peorth, by the way."  
  
"Megumi. Nice to meet you."  
  
***  
  
to be continued.  
  
**Uruz, Bern, Sauìl and Perthra are the names of runes of diffrent futhark but they respectively mean past/fire, present/wind, Tomorrow/ice and eternity/rocks. I took that information in a french book called "comment interpreter les runes" and I don't know very much about the runes so if i'm wrong somewhere, don't blame me, blame the book. 


	20. chapter20

Same comments as ch19  
  
The bug chapter 20  
  
"So how are we supposed do now?"Megumi asked, looking around for a futon.  
  
"You can take the bed." Peorth yawned. And started flying around the room.  
  
"Where will you sleep?" Megumi frowned. But Peorth didn't answered.... she was... asleep? Megumi sweat-dropped. 'She can fly *and* sleep?' She walked to Skuld's room and knocked.  
  
"Skuld are you asleep?" She asked.  
  
"No, you can come in." Skuld's voice answered.  
  
Megumi poked her head in. "Skuld..."  
  
"What?" The goddess was eating ice cream.  
  
"How can you eat that at that time of the night?" Megumi blurted.  
  
"Is that why you came?" Skuld questionned, annoyed as she swalowed her last bite.  
  
"No." She smiled, staring at Skuld. "Actually, I was wondering if it was normal that Peorth fell asleep flying."  
  
The young girl beamed. "She did it again??" She got up and practically ran to Peorth's room, a very confused Megumi on her heels. They enterd the room and Peorth was floating around, effectively sleeping. "Hehe!!" Skuld started poking the goddess.  
  
"Ok, what's that about?" Megumi smiled, crossing her arms.  
  
"Somnambulist." Skuld grinned, pointing at Peorth. Megumi made an o wih her mouth and snickered. "Look at that!" Skuld's grin grew wider as she pushed Peorth.  
  
The goddess drifted and bumped in a wall. She turned, mumbeling in her sleep but didn't wake up or fell from her imaginary cloud. Skuld repeated the action and Peorth just let herself be pushed around the room by the younger goddess, who was grinning madly.  
  
"Catch!!!" Skuld laughed as she pushed Peorth toward Megumi.  
  
"Hey! Go easy on her!" 'Megumi laughed herself and caught Peorth. "You should go and sleep Skuld."  
  
"Yea I should." She giggled.  
  
"Hey... is it really ok to let her sleep, flying across the room like that?" She asked, still not letting loose the somnambulist.  
  
Skuld shrugged, smiling. "She does that all the time." With that, she exited.  
  
Megumi observed the goddess sleeping in her arms. "Well then..." She released her and Peorth just floated there. Megumi undressed to get ready to sleep. She kept her shirt and panties on and slipped in the bed. Ready to close the lights, she looked over at Peorth one last time.  
  
The goddess shivered. "....Urd..." She sobbed in her sleep.  
  
"....." Megumi got up.  
  
****  
  
Peorth woke up but didn't opened her eyes. She always gave herself time before waking up for real, plus she knew that it was very early. 'Warm' She smiled. 'Warm?' her eyes shot open. She was effectively in her bed. 'Where did Megumi sleep?' she wondered, looking around for her. Then she heard grumbeling and looked down. 'What the??'  
  
"Awww, Megumi!" Peorth got up. "What are you doing on the floor?"  
  
Megumi cracked her eyes open, grumebeld again and turned around, her back facing Peorth.  
  
Peorth rested her hand on the girl's arm. 'Ack! so cold!' Swiftly, she lifted Megumi and deposed her on the bed. "Why did you do that?" The goddess scolded.  
  
Megumi opened sleepily her eyes. "Do what? You're the one who just lifted me in your arms and lied me on a bed, Miss Prince Charming."  
  
"No!! Well yes, but.... hey! that's not the point!! You slept on the floor and gave me the bed." Peorth sat next to the girl, who snuggeled in the still warm blanket.  
  
"Well, you were cold." Megumi muttered in the pillows before looking up at Peorth.  
  
"And now *you're* cold." Peorth growled. "Why didn't you sleep with me anyway?"  
  
"You want to sleep with me?" Megumi raised an eyebrow.  
  
"That's not what I meant!!" Peorth glared down at the cat smile the girl gave her. "....And you know it very well."  
  
"Hehe. Yes." Megumi closed her eyes the way she always do when smiling that cute smile.  
  
"You twisted that sentence on purpose, didn't you?" Peorth still glared but it was soon traded for a soft smile, no one could resist Megumi's almighty- kawaii-cat-like smile and Peorth was no exception.  
  
"Of course." Megumi answered drowzily.  
  
Peorth sighed. "Then tell me why you slept on the floor."  
  
She yawned. "You don't sleep in bed with someone without their approval."  
  
"Does that rule goes with the 'don't sleep in the room of someone you don't know the name' and the 'don't grope someone you just met' rules?" The goddess asked sarcasticaly.  
  
Megumi nodded, her eyes still closed.  
  
"But you were freezing your ass. What if you caught a cold or something?" Peorth was annoyed and Megumi stayed silent. "Hey, answer me when I'm talking to you!!" She observed the brunette. 'She fell asleep' Peorth sweatdropped.  
  
The goddess rested a hand on the girl's forehead and saw why Megumi had gave up on the bed: she saw herself floatting, curled up in a ball as she shivered and sobbed.  
  
Peorth smiled and chuckled to herself. 'She's just like her brother. Looking out for the others before themselves.' She caressed Megumi's cold cheek.  
  
"Poor dear..." She looked around, like if to make sure no one would see her. 'the two other rules weren't respected, were they?' She justified herself as she slid in the bed.  
  
"I'll warm you up." She whispered to the sleeping girl as she drew her close. "...That wasn't supposed to sound as dirty as it did sound." She added, laughing quietly.  
  
****  
  
"Good morning." Mara whispered in Urd's ear as she woke up.  
  
"Hey...." Urd smiled contently, snuggling close to her lover. "It's like a dream, waking up with you lying by my side."  
  
"It is for me too." Mara smiled softly. They stayed silent for a moment before the demon spoke again. "What'll happen from now on, Urd?"  
  
"What do you mean?" the goddess raised her head from where it was resting on Mara's chest and looked up at her.  
  
"I mean with you being a goddess and me being a demon." Mara fixed Urd's eyes seriously.  
  
"I really don't know. "She rested her head back on the pale skin and closed her eyes. "I can't live without you anymore."  
  
Mara answered by deposing a kiss on Urd's head.  
  
"I think that for now we should get dressed and tell my sisters and Peorth about our situation. Maybe they'll be able to help us." Urd thought aloud.  
  
"Are you sure about telling them that soon?" Mara stroked gently the platinum hair.  
  
"Yes." She opened her eyes. "I love you and I have no reason to keep that a secret." She embrassed her tighter.  
  
"Ok then." Mara agreed softly.  
  
****  
  
Belldandy had almost finished preparing the breakfeast. She strolled down the corridor and knocked on Urd's door. "Time to wake up Urd!"  
  
"We're up!" Came her sister's muffled reply.  
  
Belldandy moved on to the second room. "Skuld?" She knocked against the second door.  
  
"I'm coming." Skuld yawned and came out, still in sleepwear.  
  
"Good. I'll finish the breakfeast, could you go and get Peorth and Megumi?" She smiled sweetly.  
  
"Sorry sis, but I'm done with surprises. I'm not taking any more chances." Skuld held back another yawn and began to walk towards the kitchen. "Get them yourself." She added as she turned the corner.  
  
"Whatever she meant...." Belldandy wondered aloud as she got to the last room. She knocked. "Peorth? Megumi?" No answer. She tried again "Are you awake?" Still no response. Belldandy opened the door. "Oh my." She blushed, finally understanding part of what Skuld meant. Peorth and Megumi were sleeping in a sweet embrace, their foreheads touching, less than an inch seperating their lips.  
  
Megumi stirred and sat up, rubbing her eyes lazily. "Oh. Hey there, Bell." The goddess waved, obviously uncomfortable. "What's the matter?" Megumi looked around and saw that Peorth was sleeping, no had been sleeping (she was now awake) a little too close for comfort. "Oh."  
  
"Hi Belldandy." Peorth innocently smiled. "Something's wrong?"  
  
Poor Belldandy shook her head no, blushing. "Um, breakfeast is ready." She managed to say before heading back to the kitchen.  
  
"What's with her?" Peorth asked.  
  
"Hyne..." Megumi muttered and got up, following the same path as Belldandy. "Bell, wait!!"  
  
"Ok, what did I do now?" Peorth muttered to herself as she too got up.  
  
****  
  
Belldandy entered the kitchen, her cheeks flushed.  
  
"Is something wrong?"Keiichi asked as she hurriedly walked back to her pots.  
  
"Come on Bell, hear me out!" Megumi followed, wearing only a tight white shirt and panties.  
  
"Let me guess. It wasn't what it looked like." Skuld snorted, smiling to herself.  
  
"Yes! No! I mean yes!" Megumi scratched her head. "Help me out!" She cried as Peorth entered too.  
  
"About?" Peorth obviously had missed something. Yes, she had been sleeping in the same bed as Megumi but that was it, right?  
  
"Megumi, put something on!" Keiichi blushed as he finally noticed that she had been running around in underwear.  
  
"Why? Flying woman's always wearing nothing else but that black swimsuit of hers." Megumi scoffed.  
  
"That's my goddess uniform, you moron!" Peorth slapped Megumi behind the head.  
  
"Oww! That hurt!" Megumi glared at Peorth, rubbing the sore spot. "Now tell them nothing happened, O great bitchy goddess!" Megumi pointed to the trio.  
  
"How dare you, you retarded mortal!" The goddess threatened her.  
  
Fortunately, (or unfortunately, Skuld was begining to find their little show very amusing) Urd opened the door, silencing everyone. They all remembed how the two left the table right after they had finished eating, the day before. They stayed silent as Urd and Mara entered... holding hands?  
  
"Hi!" Peorth beamed, understanding immediately their situation.  
  
"Urd?" Belldandy asked, a little unsure.  
  
Urd glanced at Mara, who nodded, squeazing gently the goddess' hand.  
  
****  
  
To be continued. 


	21. chapter21

Thanks for the reviews, i appreciate alot ^_^ And about the doa story "let's party, girls" well, sorry but i don't feel like writtng, you'll have to wait until then.  
  
The bug ch21  
  
"Urd?" Belldandy asked, a little unsure.  
  
Urd glanced at Mara, who nodded, squeazing gently the goddess' hand. She took a deep breath and faced her sisters, ready to confront their reactions. "Why don't you all sit down?" She suggested.  
  
When they were all comfortably installed around the table, inhaled again. "I need to tell you something." She glanced at her sister and at the figures she, over the time, came to consider her familly. "You may have noticed that Mara and I were rather... close... lately." She carefully stated. "And um.... well..."  
  
"Get to the point already." Skuld who was resting her head in one hand, taped her fingers on the table.  
  
Urd sighed. "We're a we. Like in together." She observed their reaction. Skuld didn't react as she already knew it. Peorth smiled, obviously happy that Urd was happy. Belldandy stared, registerig information and Keiichi.. well Keiichi had a nosebleed.  
  
"So you're a couple." Megumi leaned back on the wall, totally unphased.  
  
"Exactly." Urd nodded.  
  
Keiichi was desperately trying to stop his nosebleed.  
  
"Congratulations." Belldandy smiled. Then something occured to her and she turned to Skuld. "You knew!"  
  
"Me?" The young goddess asked innocently as she straightened.  
  
"That's what your 'I'm done with surprises' was about." She kept her mouth open as she gaped as Skuld.  
  
Peorth put a hand on Belldandy's shoulder. "Relax, Bell." She chuckled.  
  
Belldandy turned slowly to Peorth. "You knew too." She accused her friend.  
  
"Me??" Peorth answered in the same fashion as Skuld did earlier. "Yeah, I did." She admitted; first class goddess can't lie.  
  
Belldandy turned to Urd. "You told them but not me?" She asked, a little hurt.  
  
Urd's eyes widened. "No! No, no! It's not like that!" She got up and sat next to her sister. "Peorth knew from the begining and Skuld, she.... er... walked in on us last evening."  
  
"Oh." Belldandy stared. Keiichi got up and went to get some tissues.  
  
Mara observed the scene. 'Well they took it pretty well.' She thought as Megumi sat beside her.  
  
"Can I ask something?" The brunette questionned casually.  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
Megumi seemed to think her question over. "From what I understand, you're a demon, yeah?"  
  
"Yeah." Mara frowned, not understanding why the girl seemed concerned.  
  
"And Urd's a goddess, right?" Megumi carefully added.  
  
'Oh. So that's where she's going.' Mara didn't answered and everyone fell silent.  
  
"I though so." Megumi sighed. "So there IS a problem with it."  
  
"Yes." Urd stared at the ground. "We're kinda worried." She smiled sheepishly.  
  
"'Kinda worried'?" Keiichi repeated, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Very worried." Mara corrected."In fact, I'm dead scared." She glanced at Urd. "I couldn't stand living without her.... again." She whispered the last part. Urd and Peorth knew what she was talking about and the others, juged it better to ignore it.  
  
"It's the same for me." Urd sighed. "Bell, you have to help us.... surely there's a way...."  
  
Belldandy frowned, reviewing in her head the rules she was taught about the relations between creatures of diffrent worlds. She and Keiichi had to pass the ultimate test, The Jugement Gate. But now, that.... horrible thing didn't exist anymore. Her frown deepened as she desperately tried to find a solution. When she finally gazed at her sister, apology was written all over her face. "I don't know." She stated. "I guess we'll have to ask Father.... or your mother." And got up.  
  
Urd bit her lip. "We can't.... Not already." She abruptly stopped her sister.  
  
"What? Why Urd?" Belldandy seemed a little disturbed that the tanned goddess would want to hide something that important to their father.  
  
Urd kept silent, not sure if she had the right to doubt of the compassion of their father. Gazing at her lover, she made her mind to voice her thoughts. "I think...." she began still unsure of herself "That as generous, loving and kind as he is, he might separate us." She gulped.  
  
"She's right, Bell." Peorth thoughtfully agreed. "Let them be for a while before talking to Kami-Sama."  
  
Belldandy observed them all for a while as she considered their opinion. "Well, I guess it's your call, then, Urd." She sighed and sat back down.  
  
****  
  
Everyone had set out to their occupation and Urd and Mara were installed very comfortably and relaxed in the couch, watching tv.  
  
"Urd? Can I talk to you for like a minute?" Megumi asked carefuly. She *had* noticed that they didn't wanted to be disturbed but that something on her mind wouldn't leave her alone.  
  
Urd recluantly got up and sat next to her, on the balcony. "Yeah?" The goddess asked, smiling, as they were out of ear reach.  
  
Megumi stood up and started tugging with her feet at a rock on the ground. "I know this is none of my buisniess, but I.... I can't help myself...." She looked back up at Urd, who was now very curious about what she had to say. "Yesterday night... Peorth she..." The girl ran a hand through her hair nervously. "She was crying in her sleep. She was whispering your name too." She murmured.  
  
Urd's face fell. "She said she'd be alright." She gritted her theet. "She told me she'd get over it, she's pretty strong, you know." She tried to convince herself.  
  
"Probably...." She started gnawing at her nails, a bad habit she had picked up since she began her studies at Nekomi Thech. "But is it ok to just leave her alone?" Megumi wondered aloud. "I mean, everybody needs a shoulder to cry on... I'm sure goddesses are no exception..."  
  
Urd smiled at the kindess the girl was showing. "Then be there for her." Urd advised.  
  
"And how am I supposed to do that?" She crossed her arms.  
  
"There's no specific way to help or support someone.... you just gotta let your heart talk, if you know what I mean." The goddess shrugged.  
  
"That is so cliché." Megumi shook her head smiling. "Why me, anyway? Why am I asking all this? Why do I care? Why would she give a shit about me?"  
  
"Because she once liked your brother, she might fall for you too." She teased, answering the last question, the only one she thought was worth answering.  
  
Megumi blushed. "Hey!"  
  
The tanned woman stuck out her tongue at her. "You were SO asking for it!"  
  
"I don't even know her." Megumi huffed, crossing her arms.  
  
"But you're concerned about her." Urd noted, grinning.  
  
"Bad influence from Kei." She defended herself. "The guy's concerned about everybody."  
  
"K1 is a sweet boy." The goddess smiled.  
  
"Too sweet." Megumi muttered and Urd ruffled her hair.  
  
****  
  
Megumi wandered in the shrine, trying to think about something to occupy herself as she was clearly wasting her time. 'Maybe I'll go and work on my bike, Kei'll be able to help me on some details...' She decided to head to the garage, but on her way, she heard sobs. 'Let me guess.' She slide the door open. 'Bingo.'  
  
"Peorth, are you alright?" She said, standing a couple feets behind the goddess.  
  
"Leave me alone." She muttered, curled up in a ball as she watched the scenery outside.  
  
"Now that would be plain mean." Megumi stepped closer. "Tell me why you're crying?" She tried.  
  
Peorth recaled what she saw in Megumi's mind earlier that morning and scoffed. "You already know."  
  
Megumi bit her lip. "Yes. I do." She admitted  
  
"Then just leave it at that. There's nothing you or I can do." She sniffed, trying her best to stop her crying. "I'm fine."  
  
"If you say so..." Megumi turned back to the opened door, ready to leave but was stoped when she heard another sob escaping from Peorth. 'Damn.'  
  
The goddess noticed the sound of Megumi's heavy boots aproaching her. "I thought I told you to--" She stoped as she felt arms wrap around her shoulders.  
  
"You're not fine, Peorth." She murmured and paused, getting in order what she wanted to say. "It's aching all over because you love her and you can't make it stop. You want to be with her so goddamn much but you can't because she's head over heels with someone else." She squeezed the goddess tighter.  
  
"I know it hurts real bad, so you shouldn't try and be strong right now , it's just too much to ask..... "She sniffed, feeling like she'd break down too but took a hold of herself. "I... I'll be strong in your place. So.... cry. Cry all you want, I'll be with you." Megumi didn't knew herself why all this felt so personal to her. Why she seemed to understand Peorth's feelings so well.  
  
Peorth's eyes were wide and she brought a hand to her mouth, trying to suppress the hiccups and the tears she could feel rolling down her cheeks as the arms finally released her. She knew that Megumi was still behind her, she could feel the warm and kind aura she was now emitting.  
  
Slowly, she turned to her, looking at her in the eyes and the brunette smiled sadly, opening her arms. Peorth nodded and rested her head on the girl's shoulder, letting the tears free, she clenched the back of Megumi's shirt. "I love her so much..." She breathed out, finally letting lose all the emotions she had welled up inside her.  
  
She craddeled the goddess' figure in her arms. 'Let my heart speak, huh?' Megumi thought back on what Urd had said.  
  
The two weren't awarre that they were observed by two other figures in the doorway.  
  
"You think she'll be alright?" Urd asked as Mara and her watched the scene.  
  
"I think so..." The blond wrapped her arms around the goddess. "That Morisato girl's pretty sweet, she'll help Peorth through."  
  
"I guess..." Urd hugged Mara to her.  
  
****  
  
Two hours later, Peorth had fell asleep and Megumi had decided it was time for her to head home. Belldandy and Keiichi were standing next to the girl as she got ready to leave. Putting on her helmet and jerking the motors of her bike back to life, she turned to the couple. "Well that was... fun." She stoped. "Is it always like that?"  
  
"Like what?" The boy cluelessly scratched his head.  
  
"Like with all the shit and trouble and stuff. You know...." She tried to explain.  
  
"I wouldn't use _these_ words, but... yeah, it's pretty much that everyday." He smiled.  
  
She stared blankly at him. "You're my hero."  
  
He sweatdropped. "well er.... take care Megumi." He smiled. "Be careful on your ride home."  
  
"Always, brother." She lowered her helmet's visor. "You too, take care." She grined and took off.  
  
****  
  
Issa watched intently as the events up folded before her. She teleported back to Hell immediately.  
  
She had been watching from as close as she could, the holy aura the goddesses emitted, keeping her at a safe distance. She bowed before her mistress and Hild touched the up side down star that marked the demon's forehead.  
  
The queen of Hell saw all the event her servant was able to see and opened her eyes when her movie was finished. "So little K-boy has a sister...." She grinned. "That's perfect..."  
  
**** to be continued... 


	22. chapter22

PLEASE REVIEW T_T  
  
The bug, chapter 22  
  
Megumi opened the door to her appartement. "I'm home..." She announced to no one.  
  
'It's pretty lifeless here....' She sadly acknowledged, resting her helmet on the table and taking her boots off. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she noticed the tangeled mass on her head that she called her hair and sighed. 'I guess I'm taking a shower...' She began undressing as she made her way to the bathroom but stoped short, noting a figure siting on her couch.  
  
The woman was sitting her back turned to Megumi. "Urd?" The brunette assumed, seeing the long white hair.  
  
"No, guess again." Hild smiled mishevously, turning to face her.  
  
"Who....." The girl started, but remebered something else. "And how the hell did you get in?" She observed suspiciously the older woman.  
  
"You don't really need to know that, dear." The powerfull demoness stood up. "I'm here because I need *you*, Morisato Megumi." Her smile spread to a wicked grin.  
  
"Me?" Megumi gulped.  
  
****  
  
Skuld was zapping, as she had nothing better to do. The news were announcing a blaze that had started in a student of Nekomi Tech's University's appartement burning down the whole building. Something about a pyromaniac. Then she noticed something.  
  
"Keiichi??!!?" She called, suddenly worried.  
  
"What?" She heard him answer from the garage.  
  
"You should come take a look, quick!" She was now more and more sure that her doubts weren't without fundments.  
  
"What is it?" He poked his head in and he looked as Skuld pointed to the tv. "Fire?" He raised an eyebrow then... "Megumi...." And he ran to is bike.  
  
"Where are you going, Keiichi?" Belldandy rapidly followed him out.  
  
"Megumi's place is on fire." He stated quickly and the goddess jumped in the sidecar.  
  
*****  
  
Arriving on the very agitated scene, he quickly scanned the crowd for his sister and spotted her almost right away.  
  
"Megumi!! Are you alright??" He ran up to her, taking her in his arms.  
  
"Yea...." the girl didn't react more than that. "I was lucky I wasn't iside. When I got here, the fire had already started." She gazed as the last flames on the nearly burnt down building consumed themselves. "Hey, can I stay at your place?"  
  
"Of course." Keiichi sniffed, not releasing her. "I was so affraid you were hurt." He hugged her closer.  
  
"Take it easy, I can't breath..." She weezed and he recluantly let go of her. But as soon as they were disengaged, she found herself in Belldandy's arms.  
  
"I was very worried too." The goddess softly whispered.  
  
Megumi smiled. "Thanks for the concern but really, I'm ok. Like I said, I wasn't even here when the fire started." Belldandy noded and released her too.  
  
"Let's head home." Keiichi wrapped an arm protectively around his sister's shoulders.  
  
"Yea." Megumi put on her helmet and smirked.  
  
*****  
  
"So, you're gonna stay here?" Peorth floated upside down as she observed Megumi instal a new-bought futon next to the bed.  
  
"I don't really have a choice." The girl sighed and turned to the goddess. "You'll have to deal with having me here."  
  
"I'll deal." Peorth stated, gazing at her. "Hey...."  
  
"Yea?" Megumi stared back at the brown orbs observing her.  
  
The goddess floated back so her head was up. "I wanted to thank you for earlier." She quietly expressed.  
  
"No need." Megumi said rather coldly and exited, leaving Peorth confused about that last behaviour.  
  
'Why was she so cold, suddenly?' she worriedly bit her lower lip as she walked down the hall. Her mind wandered to the display of affection a little earlier. 'Cry' Megumi had said. 'I'll be there for you.' She thought back on the words the girl had said. 'I expeceted to live through it alone... but now....' She paused. 'I liked the attention....' she admitted to herself as she resumed to walk. She bumped into someone.  
  
"Watch where you're going." Megumi grumbeled, pushing past Peorth.  
  
The goddess watched her go. 'What's with her?' When she turned to continue on her way, she noticed Mara silently observed Megumi. "Is there something wrong?" Peorth asked.  
  
Mara frowned. "Maybe it's just my imagination... I can't help but...." She muttered and followed the brown haired girl.  
  
'Whaaa?' Peorth titled her head.  
  
"Mara seems to think something's wrong with Megumi." Urd declared as she apeared out of nowhere, making Peorth slightly jump.  
  
"I saw that." The brown haired goddess sighed. "But then again, maybe she's just in a bad mood."  
  
Urd shrugged. "Maybe...." She gazed at Peorth. "How about you? You ok?"  
  
"Fine." She lied. "I need to relax a bit, though."  
  
Urd eyed her suspiciously. "If you say so... Why don't u take a bath, then? It'll help you calm down...."  
  
"Yea.. I'll do that..." She pensively headed to the bathroom.  
  
Mara reapeared beside Urd, who kept her eyes on the other goddess as she retreated. "So, you found something?"the platinum haired goddess asked distractively.  
  
The demon shook her head. "The diffrence in her aura is so faint, I can't feel it unless I'm near her... and I couldn't follow her any further, so I didn't had time to understand."  
  
"Guess it'll have to wait, then." Urd shrugged again.  
  
****  
  
Closing the door behind her, she un-materialised her clothes and wrapped her body in a towel. 'I hope it'll clear my mind a little....' She thought as she opened the second door to enter the bath.  
  
(AN: I don't know if you know but japanese bathrooms are divided in two. To access the bath you need to go in the second part of the room.)  
  
In the thick steam, Peorth noticed a figure. "ACK!!!" She jumped back. "I'm sorry!!!!! I didn't meant to!" Megumi rose up, letting the towel she had in her hands fall unceremoniously on the floor, her body now totaly uncovered. She took a deep breath as she looked the goddess' body over, her eyes darkening with.... desire? Peorth gulped. "I-I'll go, tell me when you're finished."  
  
"Wait." That simple word stoped every single of her moves. Megumi took a step toward her. "It's not like our bodies are that diffrent, is it? We can bathe together."  
  
"NO.. no... we can't." Peorth still didn't looked over at the brunette.  
  
"It doesn't bother me." Megumi snakely continued aproaching the goddess.  
  
"I'm out of here." Peorth was about to slide the door open and exit but a hand stoped her motion. Megumi forced her to turn around so she could look at her face. She was now standing too close for Peorth's comfort. "Megumi... is something wrong??"  
  
The girl didn't answer. She took another step foward, obliging the goddess to step back. 'What's whith all these changes of demanor??' Peorth panicked internaly, trying her best to keep a cool facade. But something was evidently wrong and it scared her.  
  
Finally, Peorth couldn't back more. She gulped again, now leaning on the wooden door for support as Megumi lightly pressed her body against her, only the goddess' thin towel seperating them. "W-w-what are you doing?" She managed to ask as the other woman had buried her head in the goddess' hair and inhaled deeply.  
  
"Humm, have I already told you...... that you smell very nice....?" She purred.  
  
"I-I don't understand, Megumi." Peorth tried to free herself and escape from the brunette's touch but failed miserably as Megumi pressed her body closer to her. "W-what are you getting at?? What are you trying to do??" She didn't want to face it.  
  
"I want to make you feel gooooood." Megumi sighed luciously in her ear. She ran her hands over Peorth's arms and interwiled her fingers with the goddess'. Peorth couldn't move, paralized by both fear and lust.  
  
"So good, you'll want to scream." Megumi bit Peorth's ear. "So good..." Ran her hands back up her arms, rested them on her shoulders. "You'll want to tear yourself apart." She let her hands wander on Peorth's soft skin as she licked her jaw line and stoped at her chin.  
  
"So good...." She brushed her lips against hers as her hands dropped to the goddess' breasts, fondeling them. "You'll want to die." She whispered, looking deeply in the other woman's eyes. That's when Peorth saw *it*. Something in those eyes wasn't fitting the real Megumi. There was... wickedness ... a glint the goddess had learned was proper to the demons.  
  
That girl in front of her wasn't Megumi, she was someone... or something else.  
  
Nevertheless, when she pressed her mouth against hers, Peorth melted. She couldn't help but close her eyes and kiss her back, open her mouth when Megumi's tongue requested to enter and slip her own tongue in the other woman's mouth. She moaned, giving in to the caresses that the brunette's hands provided as they ran all over her body.  
  
"No..." she murmured, suddenly releasing Megumi's lips. But the girl doubeled the soft strokes and kissed Peorth's neck so gently it sent shivers down the goddess' spine. 'It's wrong.... something's very wrong...' was all Peorth could think before losing any rationnal thought and start running her own hands on the brunette's body. When the girl began tugging on the towel, Peorth willingly let it fall in the same fashion Megumi did earlier. Now flesh against flesh, the goddess' lust instantaneouly grew even more, she was now to a point far past the level where she 'only' lost control. Peorth didn't cared about what she did anymore, she wanted a release.  
  
Megumi grinned. Caressing slowly the bare skin of the woman's breasts, she decided it was about time to take a step further. She slipped a leg between Peorth's, pressing it on the goddess' soft spot.  
  
"Kami-sama..." Peorth sighed, hugging the girl's body closer to herself. Megumi lightly pressed her lips against hers, once again and Peorth imediately slipped her tongue in her mouth, hungrily kissing her.  
  
It was then that the goddess finally had a flash of lucidity. She had felt fangs in the girl's mouth. Small, but still there. At last, she snapped back to reality, realising just what she was doing and fiercely pushed Megumi away, making her fall flat on her butt. She bent down, snatching her towel, and covered herself.  
  
"What are you???" She cried, not wanting to believe what she just did.. "What did you do to me, you whore!" She shouted, practicaly sobbing. ".....Where's Megumi...?" She added soflty.  
  
Megumi's eyes changed to a dangerously viscious glare. "Oh but I'm right here, honey." She got up and a black and golden cloth materialised on her naked body. Red markings apeared under her eyes and the fangs were now visibly coming out of the corners of her mouth. Peorth didn't failed to notice that a golden star just like the one Hild bared on her forehead was chained to Megumi's chest. "Only, I'm an improved version." She chuckled.  
  
Peorth whiped her mouth as battle clothes materialised on her. "You're not her!"  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "I should know who I am."  
  
"Whatever you are, get out!" The goddess cried.  
  
"Let me consider this." Megumi pretended to think it over. "No."  
  
"It wasn't a request." Peorth threatened.  
  
"I know." She grinned, clenching her hands. A dark aura was radiating from her body and her normaly brown eyes were now red.  
  
"What did you do to her....?" Peorth whispered even if she knew Hild couldn't hear her. The over powering aura emanating from the girl in front of her was terrifing and immediately alerted everyone in the house. Urd and Mara barged in first.  
  
"Holy shit." The demon muttered, taking in the sight of Megumi.  
  
"You mean unholy..." Urd corrected. 'Mother, you've gone too far this time.' The goddess shook her head.  
  
The three others rushed in too. Suprise couldn't describe the expression on their faces. Belldandy brought a hand to her mouth and Skuld was shocked beyond... anything.  
  
Keiichi looked her over. "Megumi, what happened?" He asked. Even he could feel the strong forces that had invaded the body of his sister. He took a step foward and she shot him a death glare, making him freeze.  
  
Megumi cracked her neck. "I feel *damned* good." She smirked. "Anyone care to take me on?"  
  
****  
  
to be continued...  
  
i drew what i wanted megumi to look like but for some reason, the address won't appear when I upload the ch. So it's in my profile, if u wanna take a look. 


	23. chapter23

Hey people! I really really really like some reviews so the more reviews I get, the faster I update ;)  
  
The bug Chapter 23  
  
Peorth stared in disbelief at the figure standing before her. She was powerful, Hild must've put her all in making the girl what she became. "Wake up, Megumi!!" She tried to shake the girl out of torpor.  
  
"Megumi...." Keiichi reached for her, taking a step foward and extending a hand to her. Immediatly, he was sent flying through the wall.  
  
"Keiichi!!" Belldandy rushed to him but she never made it as she was stopped in mid-air by a black thunderbolt and hit the floor.  
  
"Belldandy!" Urd and Skuld cried at the same time but didn't dared move.  
  
"Tsk, Tsk." She insited on keeping on that donwright evil grin stretched on her face. Megumi's usualy cute expression was deformed to a point where she was alomst unrecognisable. "Stay away from my brother, tramp." She snarled.  
  
The norn of the present was astonished at the harsh words. Coming out of her haze, she got up, not without pain. "What happened to you?" She asked full of compassion.  
  
"I don't need your pity." Megumi barked. "I'm better than ever."  
  
"Snap out of it already!" Skuld shouted earning herself a viscious glare.  
  
"I know too well Hild's work.... she surpassed herself with that one. We'll never be able to reach her if she stays in that state." Mara growled. "We're not getting anywhere with words."  
  
"Heh, finaly realised it?" Megumi snorted. The demon only frowned and jumped, sending a flying kick in the possessed girl, who passed through the hole made by Keiichi.  
  
Before she could hit the ground, Megumi turned around in a cat-like fashion and landed on her feet. "Please don't tell me that's the best you can do." She laughed.  
  
Mara walked out of the bathroom into the garden, all along growling at the bersek girl before running at her, throwing a series of punches. Megumi actually seemed surprised at the fierocity of her attack, but stayed cool. She sidestepped the demon's punch combination and lifted one leg to down her in a smooth-as-silk kick.  
  
The blond hit the ground in a loud thud, her head hitting the pavement in a sickening crack, blood splashing everywhere. Urd, who had followed outside with the other goddesses, fell to her knees, screaming in pain. "No..." she gritted her theet, burrying her fingers in her hair.  
  
Mara wasn't about to let Megumi win so easily as she slowly got up, bravely standing in front of the girl, who smirked. "What? You want more?" She looked her over before bending to whisper in the demon's ear. "You want me to tell you something?" She didn't waited for an answer. "I'm not here for you." She eyed the group of goddesses. "Can you guess who it is?"  
  
"No..." Mara gulped as Megumi pushed past her and ran toward the group. "Urd!" the demon yelped helplessly, she was still dizzy from the hit she had received on the head.  
  
Megumi ran past Belldandy, Peorth and... Urd. She grabbed Skuld in a headlock. "Fools!" She cried, overjoyed. "Don't tell me you didn't saw it coming!!!"  
  
"Kami-sama... no..." Belldandy raised a hand to her mouth, finally understanding. If one of the goddesses was down, the protection circle would break, thus alowing Hild in their space without her being invited. The weakest of the goddesses, Skuld, would be the easiest one to neutralise. Hild had sent Megumi to put Skuld down so she could enter their holy space.  
  
"Help!" Skuld weezed as Megumi chocked her.  
  
"Damit!" Urd unsteadily tried to get on her feet but failed. "Bell! Peorth!! Do something!!" The two goddesses nodded, rushing towards the brown haired mortal.  
  
Megumi smirked and squeezed harder, successfully knocking the young girl unconscious. Before the goddesses could reach her, a wall of shadows stopped them. Hild appeared beside Megumi.  
  
"Hild!! What have you done to her???" Urd glared as soon as she saw her mother.  
  
Hild observed Megumi's figure silently, considering if she should answer the question. "The device that lives inside the girl is quite simple actually." She smiled. "It nullifies all thoughts of good and incites the person to give in to their dark side. The one they've forsaken." She walked to the girl. "They obey to all their sinful impulses witch, for the humans, are...."  
  
"Pride, sloth, wrath, lust, glutony, greed, envy." Belldandy completed the thought. "In other words, human sins are what's driving her right now."  
  
'Lust.' Peorth had a flash of the events that had happened a little earlier. 'So that was it.'  
  
"Let her free, Hild!" Belldandy pleaded.  
  
"Why should I?" The woman snarled. "I like her.... a lot." She rested her hands on Megumi's shoulder and runned her hands on the girl's bare back.  
  
"Stop it." Keiichi hissed, disgusted as he observed Hild's caring strokes on his sister. "Leave her out of this."  
  
She laughed, though she stopped her her hand's movements. "What can *you* do to me?" She glared at him, her devilish smile still playing on her lips.  
  
"Nothing." Rind answered for him. "Let the girl free, this has nothing to do with the mortals."  
  
General surprise, nobody had noticed her arrival.  
  
"It has nothing to do with you, either." Hild growled at the goddess.  
  
"It is my duty to protect goddesses when in danger." The purple haired goddess glanced at Urd who was trying her best to stand up. "I believe this matter concerns me."  
  
"Truth be told that is your duty. But these are personal matters. Its none of your concern." Hild rested a hand on Megumi's back. "Would you please take care of the intruder?" She smiled as she gave the girl a little push.  
  
As soon as she was given the authorisation, Megumi leaped towards Rind. Axes materialised immediately in the goddesse's hands and she swinged them in the general direction of the human, forcing her to break course in order to duck. Megumi reached to the palm of her left hand, tugged on an invisible hilt. Touching it, it became visible to all and she extracted a very long sword of her arm; as if it had been a sheath for the weapon.  
  
Megumi charged again and brought her blade down, apparently aiming to cut Rind's head right off. Fortunately, the goddess was quick enough to stop the blow.  
  
"Good god! Megumi stop it!!" Keiichi was dumbfounded that her sister would attack someone, furthermore with a sword....  
  
"She's not herself anymore." Belldandy gulped as she watched Rind desperately try to block and counter the attacks. For the third time, Megumi landed a slash, cutting into the goddess' arm. "Keiichi, I'm sorry but we have to help Rind, or she may not.... no... _will not_ come out of this alive."  
  
Keiichi felt tears well up in his eyes as his gaze altered between his sister and his lover. "Please... please find a way to save her, Bell... "  
  
She bit her lip. As much as she wanted to reasure him, she didn't knew if she really could help Megumi.  
  
"We'll save her." Peorth said firmly, elegant twin blades now in her hands.  
  
Belldandy stared at the other goddess for a few second and nodded. "We'll make it." She confirmed. "Take care of Urd and Mara." With that, she finally morphed her clothes in her combat uniform, as Peorth did earlier, a long staff appearing in her hand.  
  
Both goddesses entered the fight, Rind was now exhausted, even though she wasn't able to attack once. Now three versus one, they thought they had the advantage, trying, at the very least, to stop Megumi's attacks.  
  
Slashing up and down, vertically and horizontaly, switching their patterns constantly, changing the speed at witch they assaulted, the three goddesses tried with all their might and using all their skills to land at least one blow. But the girl smoothly dodged every single one of their attacks, and couterattacked with viscious slashes, disarming her oponents one by one and spreading holy blood everywhere.  
  
"You're no fun." She spat at them.  
  
Peorth was incredulous, breathing heavily. 'How was she able to...'  
  
Rind reached for one of her axes, not done with the fight yet. She was rewarded by a awfuly powerful kick in the guts. She was left agonizing on the ground as she clutched her stomach and tried to not throw up.  
  
****  
  
Keiichi had managed to get Urd to where Mara had been resting, they could observe what happened.  
  
"Kei...." Urd softly spoke. "They won't do it like this. It's Hild they need to stop."  
  
"Megumi's out of reach." Mara didn't tried to hide the truth. "She's practically a demon, now. All that's left is for her to make her eternal vows.... if she does, there's no turning back. She won't be your sister anymore."  
  
He gulped. "You mean.... if she swears to Hild that she'll serve her forever, then... she becomes a demon.... for real?"  
  
"Keiichi, you're mortals. You're neutral beings. Your body can be converted to holy or unholy. Belldandy couldn't be turned like Urd, to be a demon, because she has only pure and sacred blood. That's just the way it is. But humans didn't receive any heritage from either of the sides. Therefore.... if they choose one side, they become a part of it." The blond explained.  
  
"If Megumi accepts to become one of them, she'll change completely... even her dna won't be the same anymore." Urd simplified what Mara had been saying.  
  
"All because she's a mortal?" He wanted to make sure he got that detail right.  
  
"Help us over there, please." Urd softly commanded, ignoring his question and he nodded.  
  
****  
  
Hild smiled. The goddesses were at her feets, thanks to her new pet.  
  
"So, do you like her?... I know I do." The queen of hell smiled as she pulled Megumi close to her. "She's my master piece...." She gazed at the brown haired woman, softly caressing her hair, then her cheek. "She's perfect, isn't she?" Hild whispered more to herself than anyone else, practicaly losing herself in the dark red eyes that stared back at her.  
  
Peorth watched the scene in horror. 'Does Megumi actually enjoys being close to *that* demon?' She felt sick as Hild hugged her and the girl complied.  
  
"Perfect...." Hild sourly repeated. "Why couldn't Urd be like her?" She added quasi-inaudibely.  
  
Keiichi, Urd and Mara were now stranding next to Belldandy, who had been crouching next to the poor beaten up Rind.  
  
"Please... Please let my sister go." He begged once more.  
  
"Yes... Hild.... Hear us, please... She's his sister." Belldandy added. "He doesn't want to lose her...."  
  
"Your father was my husband!" Hild's head snapped up. "And she's my daughter!" She pointed to Urd. "And now it's Mara who's leaving me! Do you think I _wanted_ to lose them?!?!" She barked.  
  
Belldandy winced. She had hit a sensitive spot.  
  
"If you really want Mara, fine, go ahead. I take something in exchange." She clutched Megumi closer, eyeing Urd.  
  
The platinum haired goddess' eyes rested on the ground.  
  
"That's not fair!!" Peorth objected. "You can't ask her to choose between Megumi and Mara!"  
  
"Nothing's fair in this world." Hild answered back.  
  
Silence took place as everyone tried to figure out how to get out of this situation.  
  
Hild bitterly stared at the two lovers, absently strocking the brown hair. "You're not like them, right?" She questionned the girl in her arms. "You're not gonna leave me alone, are you?" She quietly asked, her eyes more and more burning with a mixt of sorrow, hate and solitude. "You're gonna stay with me forever, aren't you?"  
  
Megumi nodded, her head resting on her mistress' chest.  
  
"Do you promise?" Hild whispered, in the girl's hair.  
  
Megumi rose her head and looked into the other woman's eyes. "I--"  
  
*****  
  
to be continued.... 


	24. chapter24

Finally updating ;;  
  
Chapter 24  
  
"Do you promise?" Hild whispered, in the girl's hair.  
  
Megumi raised her head and looked into the other woman's eyes. "I--"  
  
"NO!!" Keiichi screamed in a torn voice. He didn't want to lose Megumi.  
  
"Please don't!!" Peorth cried, tears welling up in her eyes. For some reason (AN: oh dunno why ;P) she seemed to have grown rather fond of Megumi, lately.  
  
Belldandy frowned worriedly. "You can't swear Megumi.... If you do... then..."  
  
"Shut up!" Hild growled, cutting her off. "It's for her to choose what she wants."  
  
"Then lift your spell." Keiichi snapped advancing towards her. He said it in a very un-Keiichi like way, but it was understandable... his sister's life was in danger.  
  
"What?" Hild felt her heartbeat accelerate.  
  
Keiichi took another step foward, anger and fear battling inside him. Anger for what Hild did but fear because even though he already met her a couple of times and that he's used to super-powers, he didn't forget that this woman was The Queen of Hell. "Lift your spell and we'll see if she'll still choose you over us."  
  
Hild subconsciously squeezed Megumi tighter. "I'm not letting her go." She growled again, but this time, she seemed less confident.  
  
"You're afraid of seeing her turn her back on you?" Belldandy quietly asked. "Because Father, Urd and Mara did..."  
  
The queen's eyes shot daggers at Belldandy. "SHUT UP!!! It's none of YOUR business!!" Hild screamed at the goddess, making her wince.  
  
Keiichi's already bad mood worsened, seeing his fiancé getting yelled at. "If you acted like this, I understand why Kami-Sama would want to ditch you." He uncharacteristically spat at her.  
  
"...what?" Hild paled, making him realise that that last comment maybe had been pushed too far. He didn't repeat or elaborated, as Hild had requested.  
  
But it wasn't everyone who wanted to leave it at that. "You're always hurting everybody!!!" Peorth continued for him, obviously, the feelings of the woman that stood before them were the least of her worries. Right now, all she cared about was for everybody to be left alone. "How can you think they'd stick with you when all you do is hurting them and everyone they love!??!"  
  
It hit Hild like a slap in the face. "I don't...." She began, a little distressed.  
  
"You don't??!!?" Peorth cut her off, enraged. She pointed a Urd and Mara. "You think you're not hurting them??!"  
  
Urd held Mara in her arms and waited for her mother to look their way. Hild's eyes were avoiding her daughter's and found Megumi's.  
  
"I can silence them, if you want me to." Megumi coldly suggested. Hild didn't gave an answer; she just caressed the girl's hair. Megumi took that for a yes and disengaged herself from her mistress' embrace and rushed to Peorth who didn't have time to get in a defence stance.  
  
Megumi punched the goddess to the ground and got to Urd but predictably, Mara put herself in the way and got slashed through with the sword, making her arm almost come off.  
  
She fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Urd, though, managed to stay on her feet and proceeded to take on the possessed girl. The white haired goddess gave a high kick, that was easily dodged, but, bringing her leg down, she managed to disarm Megumi.  
  
The girl wasn't about to give up just because she had lost her sword. She threw an impressive combination of punch and kicks, successfully landing half of her hits. But even if it was only the half of the attacks, Urd wasn't able to take it too well and gradually, Megumi had the advantage.  
  
They all watched the fight, most of them unable to interfere because of their already severe wounds (Mara, Belldandy, Rind and Skuld) and the others too scared or out of it to try anything (Keiichi, Peorth and Hild).  
  
As the fight progressed, Urd managed to land a lucky blow on Megumi's neck, making her a little dizzy. It was all she needed to take the advantage and she proceeded to beat the shit out off the brown-haired girl.  
  
Peorth watched in horror as Megumi's body was beaten up by the woman she lo- -. She stopped the thought right in its track because she just realised it wasn't the truth anymore. Seeing the mortal helpless under the wrath of the goddess, Peorth lost it a second and punched Urd, stopping the attacks. Then, she realised just what she did.  
  
Urd stared at her incredulously, a hand on her cheek. "... Peorth?.. What the...?"  
  
The goddess stared at the ground, stunned by her own actions. 'I hurted Urd' She kept repeating in her mind. Looking behind her, she reckoned Megumi's horrible state and met the green eyes at the goddess in front of her. "....You were killing her, Urd."  
  
Urd's looked over at Megumi and to notice that yes, she was in fact killing her. "I wouldn't have--"  
  
"I'm not so sure you 'wouldn't have', Urd." Peorth sadly cut her off. "You seemed enraged."  
  
"You didn't have to punch me to stop me." Urd stared a bit coldly at Peorth.  
  
Everyone stayed silent, waiting for something else to happen. Megumi proceeded in healing herself as Urd just stared at Peorth who was defensively standing in front of the brown haired girl.  
  
"..... I.. couldn't help myself... I don't know why I.... I did...." the brown haired goddess sighed. "I'm sorry.... I..."  
  
"I think she likes me." Megumi stood up, her healing completed. Urd raised an eyebrow. The girl rested her hands on Peorth's buttocks and slowly let her hands wander to her hips and just before they slipped between her legs, the goddess seemed to snap back to reality, slapped the hands away. "See?" Megumi smirked as Peorth took a few wavering steps away from the girl.  
  
Urd narrowed her eyes but didn't answer, observing the other goddess attentively.  
  
Peorth angrily blushed. "It's not true! She...." She gulped, not wanting to tell everyone what happened in the bathroom. 'I didn't resist...' She realised. 'Until I noted she really wasn't Megumi.... I didn't resist... and I liked the feeling of her body....'  
  
"..She what?" Urd tried to get the other goddess to finish her sentence.  
  
Megumi pushed past her 'protector' and grabbed Urd, sending her flying through a brick wall, almost knocking her out. Before she could attack further, a sharp order stopped her.  
  
"Don't." Hild warned, finally snapping out of her thoughts.  
  
Megumi stared at her eyes wide open. "But master...."  
  
Hild opened her arms and Megumi understood she had to come back to her. She wordlessly let herself be embraced by the taller woman. After staying immobile for a time, the queen demoness finally shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "They're right." She chocked on her words. Megumi looked clueless. "How can I expect Urd to love me after all I put her through?" She whispered to Megumi.  
  
"But Majesty.... you gave her everything and she chose to be a goddess.... She turned her back on you." Megumi murmured, holding firmly onto her queen.  
  
"She...." Hild looked over at the lovers. "She loved Mara.... She didn't mean to... leave me..." It dawned on her. Urd never meant to abandon her. She had no choice; she loved Mara too much to be able to cancel the pact they made. She had to go.  
  
"What are they talking about?" Keiichi annoyingly asked his girlfriend. "Can you hear them?"  
  
Belldandy shook her head. "I can't really hear..." She looked at Urd, over her shoulder. "But it's about you."  
  
Urd rolled her eyes. "Like I didn't know..." She said, removing her hand from Mara's head and arm, where the wounds used to be. "Feeling better?"  
  
"Yea, thanks." Mara smiled at her.  
  
Rind approached them, Skuld's body craddeled in her arms. "Are you ok?" She asked, her voice full of concern.  
  
Belldandy raised a hand to her mouth. Rind's state was miserable; her usually immaculate white clothes were dirty with blood and soil. "Rind, the question is: Are you alright??"  
  
The battle goddess tried to straighten herself but winced, the deep cuts over her body letting their crisom liquid pour out more freely. "Ugh.." She fell to her knees, being more careful to Skuld than herself.  
  
Keiichi and Belldandy both rushed to her, the boy taking Skuld, relieving her of the weight and the goddess taking her in her arms.  
  
"Rind..." Belldandy caressed her forehead and hair worriedly, trying her best to heal her quickly. Rind rested her head on her chest, relaxing. Keiichi frowned, not going unnoticed by Urd.  
  
A short moment passed, where nobody moved, nothing beside Bell healing her fellow goddess and Hild sorting her thoughts out seemed to be happening.  
  
When most of the wounds had disappeared and Rind opened her eyes, raising her head from where it was resting. "Looks like something's happening." She nodded towards their two enemies.  
  
Finally, Hild had released her embrace on Megumi and stepped back. "Urd, I...." She struggled to get it out. "I'm sorry." She said, and with a quick movement of her wrist, the star that was chained to Megumi's chest was shattered to pieces.  
  
The girl's eyes rolled back and she screamed, holding her head as all the dark forces left her body at once. She fell to her knees, panting. Keiichi anxiously waited for her to look up. When she did, he saw the red markings had disappeared and her eyes were back to their usual chocolate brown.  
  
"....Kei?" She quietly asked and he ran up to her, tears rolled down his cheeks as he hugged her.  
  
"You're back." He sobbed. "It's really you... I... I was afraid I'd lose you forever. "He confessed.  
  
Hild brought a hand to her mouth. Watching Keiichi hug his sister made her realise how wrong she had acted. "....really sorry..." She gritted her teeth, turning back, leaving.  
  
"I forgive you." Urd whispered to her mother as she watched her go.  
  
Mara gazed at her lover. 'How sad... she's not allowed to love her own mother... what kind of god creates a world like that?' She turned her angry stare to the sky, as if she defied Kami-sama himself.  
  
Megumi hugged her brother. "What happened?" She asked, trying to soothe his tears.  
  
He quickly pulled away. "You.... don't remember what happened?"  
  
"What..." She looked at herself and saw her demon clothes. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT??" She jumped back. "MY....?!?!" She folded her arms over her chest. "Kei give me your shirt!!!!" She cried.  
  
"What?!?! No way!!!" He backed away.  
  
"Come on!!! You're a guy!!" She whined. "It doesn't matter if you're not wearing any shirt!!"  
  
"Well it's not like you're nude!!!" He backed more.  
  
"My breasts are hanging out!!!" She cried, making a few girls laugh.  
  
"That's not true!!!" He glanced at her.  
  
"DON'T LOOK! PERVERT!!" She whacked him.  
  
The set of goddesses observed the scene.  
  
"Can't live without 'em, heh, Bell?" Urd chuckled.  
  
Belldandy smiled.

* * *

To be continued.... 


	25. chapter25

I know it's been a while, please don't put a gun up my ass  
I'm gonna try and be more steady in my updates but I'm such a lazy ass that… well… sorry TT Thanks a lot, Liongirl09/Scarred Wolf your reviews give me huge kicks in the ass. And I hope you continue reading the story 'till the end… I hope you'll like what I have in store, too ;P  
  
Chapter25  
  
"I'M HOMELESS!!!!" Megumi bawled exageratively, making Urd, Mara and Skuld try really hard not to laugh.  
  
Keiichi had just finished explaining what had happened. At least what he knew had happened. "Don't worry... You can stay over here, we even bought you a futon." He tried to calm her.  
  
"What about my stuff?" She grumbeled.  
  
"We can buy new stuff too..." He rubbed her back, comforting her.  
  
She sniffed. "Alright then...." She looked over at the girls who were laughing at her, then at Belldandy, who had an apologetic smile on her face, then at the goddess she didn't knew and then at Peorth… who seemed interested in a small stain on the table. "... what are we doing now?" She asked her brother.  
  
"Good question..." He glanced at his girlfriend.  
  
"It depens on a couple of things..." Belldandy looked down. "Does Father knows?" She quietly said. "Why did you came, Rind? Did He sent you? Did He learned about what happened..?"  
  
The purple haired goddess became the center of attention. "I... I came because I felt you were in danger.... I didn't knew who or what had put you in danger... I don't know why or how... I just knew." She fiddled with a part of her torn cloth. "Maybe He does know. Maybe He doesn't know ALL that happened... and then again... maybe He doesn't even know I came down here..."  
  
The room fell silent.  
  
"So as long as Urd doesn't wanna call Father, we can't do anything. Is that it?" Skuld munched on a popsicle.  
  
"I think.... " Belldandy looked over at Rind, Urd and Mara who approved and then at Peorth, who was lost somewhere in her thoughts. "...Um... what's your opinion, Peorth?"  
  
The goddess snapped out of her thoughts. "Uh.... sorry... I wasn't listening..." She sighed.  
  
Urd narrowed her eyes. ' "It's not true! She...." Peorth didn't finish her sentence. What happened between her and Megumi...?'  
  
"Is something on your mind, Peorth?" Belldandy kindly asked.  
  
"Yes." She was forced to approve. (AN: Being first class sucks big time if you ask me :) "But I'd rather not talk about it... it's..." She furtively glanced at Megumi who was fascinated by Rind's purple hair. ".. it's personal.."  
  
"... All right..." The norn recluantly let it go but Urd had noticed the look Peorth had thrown Megumi.  
  
"Stop staring at me like that." Rind was a little annoyed by Megumi's attention.  
  
"Your hair is really naturaly purple?" Megumi insisted, brining a hand to feel a few locks of the unusualy-colored hair.  
  
"Yes. So what?" She brushed the hand away.  
  
"How cool!" Megumi had stars in her eyes.  
  
Rind was scared.  
  
Rind subtly hid herself behind Belldandy.  
  
(urd: subtly? whacks evilsickcow with a paper fan You can't just hide subtly.)  
  
Belldandy laughed quietly. The new subject was way more relaxing than the previous one. She watched as Mara and Urd stood and the goddess rested her hand and head on the blonde's shoulder and brought her mouth to her ear. "Something's bothering me." She whispered, motioning to Peorth who was sitting in a foetus-like stance. The demon was about to open her mouth but Urd, knowing what she'd say cut her off. "It's not about us."  
  
Mara sighed, shaking her head and whispered back to Urd. "Be sure to tell me, then."  
  
Urd walked over to Peorth, took her arm and dragged her in the next room, going pretty much unnoticed because of the fuss Megumi and Rind were making.  
  
"What?" Peorth grumbled as Urd closed the door and turned to her, arms crossed.  
  
"Finish that sentence." The platinum haired goddess frowned at her.  
  
"What sentence?" The other goddess was annoyed.  
  
"You had started saying something when demon-Megumi said you liked her." Urd said, resolved to get an answer.  
  
"Oh…" Peorth quietly breathed.  
  
"What did she say?" Urd was more kind, seeing it really affected her friend. "Tell me, Peorth, you have to let it out…"  
  
She kept staring at the ground. "I… don't wanna talk about it…"  
  
"Did she do something?" The goddess was starting to be worried. "Peorth?" She touched her shoulder.  
  
"Look… she…" She started. "It's not her fault Urd…" Peorth raised her head and her sad eyes met Urd's.  
  
"She did do something…" She suddenly felt angry at Megumi and was about to go back in the other room to put some sense in the girl's head but was stopped by Peorth grabbing her arm firmly.  
  
"I said she wasn't to blame." She gulped and made her mind to confess. "I… I didn't resist her, Urd…" She murmured and Urd frowned, not understanding. "She did start it…but I didn't mind…" Her voice was full of emotion. "I can't believe I let her play with me…" She clenched her teeth and her eyes watered. Urd's eyes widened.  
  
She was wordless. She stared at Peorth for some time, trying to think of something to say but only one thing came to her mind. "Was she right…? Do you--"  
  
"I don't know…" Peorth cut her off, knowing what she would ask. "I can't think straight, my head is so messed up right now…" She sat down. "Let me be, ok?"  
  
"…" Urd wanted to say something, to help her. But she knew that whatever she'd do, she'd only worsen things. "Alright…"She finally sighed and got back to Mara, wordlessly following her back to their room.  
"What's with her?" Mara curiously asked her.  
  
Urd debated whether she should tell her or not. Peorth wouldn't like it… but she knew she shouldn't keep any secrets from Mara. "I'll tell you later…" She finally answered as they

* * *

Keiichi, Belldandy, Megumi and Rind still sat in the living room. Peorth and Skuld had gone to their rooms, respectively because of 'not feeling well' and a machine that needed to be competed.  
  
Keiichi opened the tv, it seemed there was nothing else to do. Rind silently got up. "Where are you going?" He asked.  
  
"Outside. I feel like looking at the sky." She exited.  
  
Keiichi looked at Belldandy who stared back at him lovingly.  
  
"Err... I'll go see if Peorth's alright..." Megumi quickly found an excuse to leave the two love birds alone.  
  
The brown haired girl walked down the hall, her thoughts wandering to the goddess' earlier behavior. She said there was something personnal on her mind... and seemed to be avoiding her gaze. Megumi quickly shruggered it off as she slowly peeked in the room. Peorth was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. She cleared her throat and entered. "Peorth? You ok?"  
  
The goddess glanced at her and turned her back to her. "I'd like to be alone."  
  
"I just thought I'd check to see if--"  
  
"I'm not well, ok?" She snapped, sitting up, but calmed down. "Please leave."  
  
"Is it something I said?" Megumi ignored that last statement.  
  
"No." Peorth lied back down.  
  
"Is it because of me?" Megumi carefully asked.  
  
The goddess stayed silent a moment. "I don't wanna talk about it."  
  
Megumi stood there a moment before recluantly turning back to the door and leaving without another word. Heading back to her brother and his fiancé.  
  
Peorth, alone once again, let her mind wander once more to the lastest events. "I should've resisted.... How come I gave in so easily...? Do I really…" She muttered to herself, chewing on the blanket.

* * *

Rind sat on a rock outside, staring at the stars. She sighed. "Things are complicated, down here..." Cold mint nodded. "Feelings are such a pain... " Spear mint nodded too.  
  
"I don't think so..." Belldandy smiled.  
  
Rind turned to the other goddess, her angels instantly going back inside of her. "How long have you been standing there?"  
  
"Not very long..." She sat down beside her friend. "What's bothering you, Rind?"  
  
"How can you tell something's bothering me?" She titled her head, a little confused.  
  
"You're pretty easy to read..." Belldandy continued smiling. "You're so innocent, you can't hide your feelings from showing on your face." She explained further.  
  
"Oh." Rind looked back up at the stars. "It's just that... Urd and Mara.... it must be hard for them..."  
  
"Why do you think so?" The honey haired goddess asked, interressed.  
  
Rind studied Belldandy's face. "Why aren't you with Keiichi, inside?"  
  
"Because I felt like being with you." She answered, making the other goddess' cheek redden slightly. "Now tell me why you think it must be hard."  
  
"Well with them being from both diffrent sides... plus Urd is the queen's daugter... " She started. Belldandy nodded. Rind turned to her. "Wouldn't it be much more simple if we wouldn't have such complicated feelings and just.... forgot about love?"  
  
Belldandy shook her head slowly. "You don't understand, Rind. Love is beautiful. It's something they wouldn't exchange for anything... it's grand and it's the best feeling in the world..." She put a hand on the other goddess' shoulder. "You'll understand when you'll fall in love too." She smiled.  
  
Rind just gazed in the pale blue eyes in front of her.

* * *

"What did I do??" Megumi banged her head on the table suddenly.  
  
Keiichi jumped slightly. "What do you mean what did you do?"  
  
His sister slowly turned over to him. "I did something to Peorth but I don't know what."  
  
Keiichi raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?" He popped a chip in his mouth.  
  
"She's been weird..." Megumi whined. "She won't look at me... Then I asked.. and she said she didn't wanted to talk about it."  
  
Keiichi laughed. "Why does it bother you so much? You like her?"  
  
"I do NOT." She snapped her head up. "It's just.. we were begining to be friends... and it was nice... and then it's just weird."  
  
"Oh." He ate some more chips. "How come you don't know what weirded her out?"  
  
Megumi stayed silent. "I don't remember what I did as dark-me..."  
  
"You mean you did something that hurt her while you were evil and now you don't remember?" He clarified.  
  
"That's what I said." She looked at him, a little annoyed.  
  
"So what are you gonna do about it?" He noticed he was out of chips.  
  
"Dunno.... I think I'll have to ask her.... again." She sighed. "Oh why is life so difficult! Why can't we all understand each other, live in peace and be happy? Oh cruel fate, let me free so I may die soon!" With that, she dropped her head back on the table.  
  
Belldandy came in, followed by Rind, just as Megumi's head banged the wood. "Oh my... Is something wrong?"  
  
Keiichi smiled. "Nah. It'll turn out ok." He rested a hand on his sister's head. "She's just being dramatic."  
  
A muffled "No I'm not." could be heard from under the mass of hair on the table. She lifted her head. "Okay. I was. But before my dramatic élan, I was being serious."  
  
Belldandy sat beside her. "Would you like to tell what's wrong?"  
  
Megumi shook her head. "Kei was right... it'll be alright... I just gotta talk..."  
  
"Okay then..." Belldandy looked over at Keiichi. "Rind will stay in our room for a few days... is that alright with you?"  
  
"But I didn't--" Rind began.  
  
"We'd like you to stay a little with us." The other goddess smiled.  
  
Rind stared at Belldandy a little. "..O..okay. But I don't need to be staying in your room…I can just--"  
  
"You'd be much more comfortable in a room." She continued smiling.  
  
"I agree." Keiichi grinned at Rind. "And you said you'd visit us... So now's the perfec time for a vacation... Heck, we could throw a party, with Megumi, Peorth and Mara already sleeping over." laughed.  
  
Belldandy's eyes lightened up. "What a great idea!"

* * *

To be continued... 


End file.
